Frontier 02: Home Frontier
by madjack89
Summary: Continuation of Digimon Frontier. The gang gets their D-Tectors back, along with four new Digidestined. This doesn't sound generic lol. And a new evil is threatening the Digital world! Yay! This has KouichixZoe, TakuyaxOC, and JPxOC, for your info.
1. Prologue

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Prologue **

_madjack89:_ Well, this is my first story, so I hope you enjoy it . This story will mostly be what I think that the sequel to Digimon Frontier could have been. I'll be using the English dub names for characters because that's the only version I've seen (heh heh). I'll also introduce four original characters (or OC's as I can call them) as, you can probably already tell, will be the other four legendary warriors! Hooray! One last thing I should mention is that this will be set approximately one year after the gang originally went to the Digital World, so Takuya, Kouji, Kouichi, and Zoe are 12, JP is 13, and Tommy is 10. All right, I believe I've bored you enough, let's get on with the prologue ;)!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon Frontier or its characters! I'm just writing a fan-based story about them! No more, no less!**

—

"Get her!" She heard their screams getting closer, so she continued to run. She felt as if she could simply crumple into a heap on the ground at any second, but she had to keep going. After all, who else could transport her precious load to the human world? Who else could give those children back their fighting chance against the monstrosities that were to come?

After what seemed like decades of running, she finally made it to the chasm. She felt a jolt of relief surge through her. She was going to make it! "Gotcha!" cried her pursuers, who had caught up to her at last and were about to grab her from behind. _It doesn't matter now_, she thought, tossing her load into the deep pit below. _I've done what I needed to do_.

"NO!" screamed the leader of her pursuers, leaping desperately to try to catch the bag before it was too late. But it was too late, because from the deep chasm below, lights began to shine and shimmer, and then the scene of a busy city street appeared in the pit. This scene seemed to swallow the items up, and then everything was black once more, and the D-Tectors were nowhere to be found.

"And so it begins," she muttered, as the darkness consumed her yet again.

—

_madjack89: _So, how was the prologue? Please R&R and tell me what you think!

_Takuya:_ And don't forget to read the next chapter, cause I'll be in it!

_Kouji:_ We'll be in it too, you moron!

_Takuya:_ Don't call me a moron, moron!

_Kouji:_ I'll call you whatever I want to, idiot!

_Zoe:_ Stop it right now, you two!

_Takuya and Kouji: _HE STARTED IT!

_Kouichi:_ _sigh_ Well, thank you for reading and see you in chapter one!

_madjack89:_ Thank you, Kouichi. At least YOU'RE sensible.

_Takuya, Kouji, and Zoe:_ HEY!


	2. Ch 1: The New Beginning

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier - Chapter 1: The New Beginning **

_madjack89:_ I'm on a roll, so I might as well write the first chapter to go along with that prologue! I already told you about the story last time, so this time I'll just say relax and enjoy the first chapter!

**_Disclaimer_: I don't own Digimon Frontier! Nope, I do not! And I'm sure their glad that I don't! (heh heh)**

—

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! An alarm clock sounded on the desk next to the boy's bed. The boy slowly opened his brown eyes to see that if he didn't hurry, he'd be late for his first day of seventh grade.

"Aw, crap!" he yelled as he leaped out of bed. He quickly ran to his closet and grabbed a random T-shirt and jeans. He pulled them on and leaped through his bedroom door. He proceeded to charge down the hallway to the bathroom.

"Good morning!" said his younger brother, who had just emerged from his own room.

"Yeah, hi, can't talk, gotta go!" he muttered back to him.

He made it into the bathroom and began to quickly brush his teeth and tame his messy brown hair. _I can't afford to be late on the first day! I just can't!_ he thought to himself.

He ran through the hallway yet again, this time emerging into the living room. He ran to the kitchen and grabbed one of the pieces of toast he knew would be sitting on a plate on the counter. "Hurry, young man, or you'll be late!" his mother said, sitting at the table and reading the morning paper.

"I know, I know!" he mumbled, chewing on the piece of toast he had grabbed. He made his way to the front door, grabbed his backpack, hat, and goggles, and left.

He began to sprint down the sidewalk, checking his watch as he went. _Gotta make it, gotta make it, gotta make it!_ he thought as he frantically ran along the sidewalks. Finally, he saw it. The school was in sight!

DING DONG!

He heard the bell go off just as he went through the gate. "NOOOO! I THOUGHT I MADE IT!" he yelled, exasperated.

A few minutes later, he trudged slowly into his classroom. "I presume that you are Mr. Takuya Kanbara, correct?" said the teacher, stopping in the middle of a beginning-of-the-year lecture.

"Yes, ma'am," Takuya replied, embarrassed. He could already feel the accusing stares of his classmates.

"Well, now that you're here, why don't you take the empty seat between Mr. Kimura and Mr. Minamoto?" said his teacher, pointing out the seat.

"Kimura and Minamoto?" replied Takuya, turning around to see two of his best friends sitting in the second row of seats, with an empty seat between them.

Surprised, Takuya took the seat between the two identical twins. One seemed to be trying to suppress a smirk without much success; the other gave Takuya a look of sympathy. "I didn't know you two were in the same class as me," whispered Takuya as the teacher continued her lecture.

"Well, it seems as if you've had a busy morning. What'd you do, stay up all night playing video games?" scoffed the younger of the two twins, chuckling to himself.

"For your information, Kouji, my alarm clock woke me up late," Takuya retaliated, hissing the words through his teeth. It wasn't as if he hated Kouji, he just made it so hard to get along with him.

"Guys, can you please stop fighting? I don't want to listen to this all year," pleaded the older twin, Kouichi, from behind them.

"Tell him that!" said Takuya through gritted teeth.

Kouichi sighed. "What am I gonna do with you two?"

—

After a day of lectures and introductions from their teacher, Takuya, Kouji, and Kouichi waited outside the school gate for their other friend, who was a year older than them. They had made plans for this afternoon to take a walk in the park together with two more of their friends. As they stood waiting, groups of girls seemed to be awestruck as they walked by the two twins.

"Why are they staring at us like that? It looks like they want to eat us!" muttered Kouichi, sweatdropping.

"Kouichi, my friend, someday I'll have to teach you the secrets of women," said a voice from behind them. They turned to see their boisterous friend, JP Shibayama, standing behind them with a smug expression on his face.

"JP, stop kidding yourself. When have you ever succeeded in getting a girl?" said Kouji sarcastically, tying his bandana around his head.

"Kouji," began JP, ignoring the rude comment, "when are you gonna get a new bandana to replace that old one?"

"When hell freezes over," replied Kouji, glaring at a pair of sixth grade girls gawking at him. They looked nervous and quickly ran out the gate, giggling as they went. "Girls," muttered Kouji.

"C'mon, guys, let's go pick up Tommy," announced Takuya, feeling a bit put out by all the attention Kouji and Kouichi were getting.

After walking a few blocks, they made it to the local elementary school. As they approached, a short, brown-haired ten-year-old bounced up to greet them.

"Hi, guys! Hi, Takuya!" exclaimed Tommy, looking especially excited to see his surrogate big brother, Takuya.

"Hey, buddy!" Takuya smiled, embracing Tommy. Tommy had been visiting with family for most of the summer, so they hadn't seen each other in a while.

"And suddenly, it's as if we don't exist," muttered JP, looking upon the scene with mock anger.

"Just let them have their moment," Kouichi sighed.

"Yeah, JP. They haven't seen each other in at least a month."

JP jumped at the familiar female voice that sounded behind him. "Zoe!" he exclaimed, happy to see his crush. "It's also been two weeks since we've seen each other, so why don't we…" JP stopped mid-sentence after he noticed what she was wearing. She still had on her revealing mini-skirt clad uniform, the one worn by all the students at the all-girls school Zoe attended. The rest of them knew how she hated her uniform like the plague, and would never permit one of them to touch, much less hug her while she was in it.

"Go ahead, JP. What were you going to say," Zoe enunciated each word, spitting out them out like venom.

Kouji and Kouichi backed away as Zoe ran forward and sent JP flying with a punch. "I'm sorry!" JP yelled as he shrank into the distance.

"C'mon, guys, let's go to the park now," Zoe said in the sweetest of voices. The rest of them followed, scared looks on their faces.

—

Later as they sat in the park enjoying the ice cream they had just bought, Zoe continued apologizing to JP for hitting him. "I'm so sorry! I had a rough first day, and I always feel like a skank when I'm wearing this uniform, and I wish my mom weren't so concerned that all my friends are guys that she had to go and send me to that deathtrap of a school, and…"

"Zoe, it's fine. I already accepted your apology a million times," JP smiled.

"Oh, JP…" Zoe cooed, giving him a hug for his kindness. JP hugged back, smiling smugly and making a thumbs-up sign behind her back.

_Of course,_ the rest of them thought, sweatdropping.

After that, they sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the peace of the evening. "Hey, guys," Takuya said, breaking the silence, "I've been thinking about something, and I wanted your opinions."

"About what?" said Kouichi, always trying to prove to them, and himself, that he was a good friend.

"Well, remember how, when we left the Digital World, Agunimon said we might see each other again?" Takuya paused, waiting for their responses. They merely stared back at Takuya, urging him to continue.

"Well…" Takuya said, embarrassed by their pressing stares. "I just had this really weird dream about some girl I'd never met, kind of running through some woods, and then chucking our D-Tectors into a big hole." Takuya paused, and then grinned lopsidedly. "I guess it would be weird to ask you guys if you had the same dream. After all, it has been almost a year and I just thought that it was about time and…"

Suddenly, Takuya realized that his friends were completely ignoring him and staring in shock at the sky. Takuya turned to see that, although the sun was already low in the sky, a bright light was glowing above their heads. But that wasn't all. Ten small dots appeared to melt right through the blinding light. Four of them flew off in random directions, while the remaining six plummeted toward the park. The bright light disappeared, and as their eyes adjusted to the dark, they noticed six D-Tectors sitting at their feet.

"Guys, forget everything I just said," exclaimed Takuya, a determined expression on his face.

—

"You were a fool to cross me, Masumon," said a tall, cloaked, female Digimon, spitting at the prisoner lying at her feet. The captive looked up at her captor, pure hatred shining in her eyes despite the harsh punishment she had received.

The cloaked Digimon chuckled. "No matter," she said, smirking. "I'll just have to target the four who don't yet know of their inheritance and capture them first." With that, the hole at the far side of the rock wall began to glow, showing the images of four different children, three boys and one girl.

"You know your mission. Go!" commanded the cloaked Digimon to another Digimon that resembled an owl.

"Yes milady," said the Digimon, stepping into the portal. Once he was through, the glowing ceased, and he was nowhere to be seen.

—

_madjack89:_ Well, how was the first chapter? Long enough for you? Suspenseful enough?

_Takuya:_ YES! What happens next? Who are the other Digi-Destined? C'mon, tell me!

_Kouji:_ *_ignores Takuya*_ Why did you make me so sarcastic?

_Kouichi:_ Because you ARE sarcastic.

_Kouji:_ Love you, too.

_Kouichi:_ See?

_JP:_ In the next chapter, the other four Digi-Destined will be introduced, along with the Digimon sent to pursue them.

_Tommy:_ I hope one of them is my age.

_madjack89: _Uh…well, see you in the next chapter, everyone!

_Tommy: _What! None of them are my age!

_Takuya:_ I can't take the suspense!

_Kouji:_ I am NOT sarcastic!

_Kouichi:_ YES, you are.

_Zoe: *sigh*_ See you next time, everybody!


	3. Ch 2: The Remaining Four?

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier — Chapter 2: The Remaining Four…? **

_madjack89:_ I'm so happy! I got my first reviews ever! Thank you so much! I'll answer them right now!

_*break*_

_Megmo8214:_ Thank you for the nice review! Here's the next chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!

_greywindfalcon:_ Sorry, but I wanted to put a cliff-hanger in it (both you and Takuya should be happy that I got this done _heh heh_). Also, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there will not be yaoi in this story (spoiler!). I'm not really into that. But there will be some couplings, and I'll start to slowly build up to them. Thank you for the review!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Thanks! ^.^ And the wait is now over, so never fear!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Alright, now that that's done, let's get on to chapter two!

_Takuya:_ Hooray!

_madjack89:_ Takuya! You're not supposed to come until the end!

_Takuya:_ Awww…

—

Takuya, Kouji, Kouichi, Zoe, JP, and Tommy stood in a circle in the middle of the park, staring at the all-too-familiar objects that had fallen from the sky moments before.

"Well, that was…weird," JP stated, breaking the silence. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Then they each stepped forward to pick up their respective D-Tectors.

"Wow," said Tommy, holding his D-Tector as if it were the most fragile thing in existence. "I can't believe we got our spirits back after all this time!"

"Seems a little too good to be true," said Kouji, eyeing his blue and black D-Tector suspiciously. "What if someone tampered with them, and they're just waiting for us to use them?"

"I say we test them. Right now!" Takuya exclaimed, itching with excitement.

"Takuya, we're in the middle of the park! If we suddenly turn into mutant monsters, don't you think somebody would notice!" said Kouji, annoyed that Takuya could be so stupid.

"He has a point, Takuya. We should probably find a safer location, and test them out tomorrow," said Zoe, trying to avert a conflict.

"Alright," agreed Takuya, disappointed.

"OK, then. Let's meet in the abandoned movie theater tomorrow. That should give us enough room," declared Zoe.

"Right," everyone agreed.

—

"Takuya!" Takuya jumped at the sound of Kouichi's voice next to him, yelling his name.

"Huh, what?" muttered Takuya, slightly dazed.

"Takuya, I've been talking to you for the last ten minutes," said Kouichi, annoyed at Takuya's lack of attention.

"Oh, sorry," Takuya said sheepishly. "Has class started yet?"

"No, which means that Kouji still isn't late, but if he doesn't hurry up, he probably will be."

Takuya smiled an evil, impish grin. "No, Takuya," said Kouichi, already knowing what Takuya had in mind for Kouji.

"Aww, c'mon, just one little insult?" pleaded Takuya.

"Takuya, trust me, revenge will get you nowhere," said Kouichi, referring back to the first time they had gone to the Digital World, and the first they had seen of Kouichi.

Takuya was silenced at once, not wanting to discuss that depressing subject. Kouichi smiled in triumph, knowing his strategy had worked.

"I'm sorry for ignoring you," said Takuya, changing the subject. "I'm just itching with anticipation for this aftern…"

DING DONG.

The bell rang, interrupting Takuya mid-sentence. Everyone went to their respective seats, while Kouji's seat remained empty. Kouichi glanced warily at the empty seat, while Takuya grinned with a certain sense of triumph.

"Alright, class, settle down," said the teacher, walking into the room. "Now, I know this is unusual for only the second day of school, but we have a new student joining us today. I'd like you all to welcome Mr. Daiki Kazuki."

As the teacher gestured to the door, a sandy haired boy strutted into class. He wore a big grin on his face as he turned to address the class. "Hi, everybody! My name's Daiki, but you can just call me Dai! I like things related to mysteries and the occult, so if anyone knows anything about that, please let me know!" Daiki addressed the class without breaking a sweat, green eyes shining. But it wasn't Daiki's over enthusiasm or even his comment about the occult that made everyone in class stare at him, open-mouthed. They all stared because Daiki, although he was entering seventh grade, was only about an inch or so taller than Tommy.

_Dang, he's short!_ thought Takuya and Kouichi, staring in disbelief at the boy grinning excitedly at them all.

"Thank you, Mr. Kazuki. Why don't you take the seat next to Mr. Kanbara right there?" said the teacher, pointing out Takuya.

_Oh, no,_ thought Takuya, sure he would break out in laughter at any second. Daiki sat down, turned around, and smiled at Takuya. _I'm gonna die,_ thought Takuya.

—

"Hey, you two! Mind if I sit with you?" Daiki came bouncing up to Takuya and Kouichi during lunch, practically exploding with joy.

"Um, sure," said Kouichi, gesturing toward the empty seat beside him at their lunch table.

Daiki sat down, bubbling over with excitement, and then looked around with a confused expression on his face. "Do you two always sit alone like this?" asked Daiki, confused by the lack of people at their table.

"Well, usually my brother sits with us too, but I guess he's not here today," replied Kouichi, knowing he would have to do all the talking because Takuya was too busy suppressing a chuckle.

"Oh, I heard you had an identical twin! I'd love to meet him!" said Daiki, bouncing up and down in his seat.

"I'm sure he'd like to meet you, too," said Kouichi, knowing full well that Kouji would be annoyed by Daiki's eagerness.

"That's gre…" Daiki stopped mid-sentence, staring at Takuya with wide eyes.

"Um…hi," said Takuya, confused by Daiki's behavior.

"You have one, too!" exclaimed Daiki suddenly, hushing the entire cafeteria. Takuya realized that Daiki had seen him anxiously playing with his D-Tector under the table.

Before anything else could be said, Daiki produced from his pocket a similar D-Tector, this one dark brown and black in color.

"Did your's fall from the sk…" Before Daiki could finish, Kouichi wrapped his arm securely around Daiki's mouth and began to carry him out of the cafeteria, Takuya following anxiously behind.

Everyone watched as this took place, confused expressions on their faces. Takuya turned around and addressed the crowd. "Um…Daiki's feeling sick, so we thought we should take him to the nurse! So, there's nothing to worry about. Enjoy your lunch!" He then bolted through the cafeteria door, letting it slam shut behind him.

—

Kouichi ran with Daiki until they reached the confines of the janitor's closet. They stuffed themselves and Daiki in and shut the door.

Then Kouichi gently lowered Daiki to the ground, an apologetic look on his face.

"Why did you do that, Kouichi!" exclaimed Takuya, turning his attention to Kouichi first.

"I don't know, I just panicked," said Kouichi, knowing full well how stupid he had just acted.

"Alright, fine," said Takuya, not wanting to start an argument. He turned toward Daiki. "OK, Daiki, tell us how you got that thing," he said, pointing to the D-Tector.

Daiki blinked, utterly confused by Takuya and Kouichi's behavior. "Well, it just kind of flew from the sky and landed in my room last night. And please call me Dai," explained Daiki.

"OK, Dai," said Kouichi, beginning to compose himself, "do you know what that thing does?"

"No, my cousin and I couldn't make them do anything last night, no matter how many buttons we pressed. Why, do you guys know how they work?" Daiki asked, hopeful.

"Wait, your cousin has a D-Tector, too?" Takuya asked, an idea forming in his head.

"A D-Tector? Is that what it's called? Cool! And, yes, my cousin got one too, the same way as me," Daiki said, admiring his D-Tector in the light of the light bulb in the closet.

"Where is he?" Takuya and Kouichi both asked.

—

"So let me get this straight. You also have a D-Tector, and it also fell from the sky, the same as mine?" JP reiterated.

He was speaking to a tall, blond haired, green eyed boy, sitting next to him during free period. The boy nodded, holding up his black and silver D-Tector for JP to examine.

JP looked at it for a moment, and then grinned. "Well, Hotaru, all I can say is, welcome to the club!"

—

"Yeah, it fell from the sky and hit me on the head! So what? What's so special about it?"

Zoe backed up as the girl she was talking to pointed a stick she'd picked up from the ground at her. They sat outside for lunch today, because it was so nice out.

"Well, uh…" Zoe began, not used to these kinds of threats. "You see…this device is pretty special, and if you come with me after school, I promise I'll tell you all about it."

The girl deliberated for a moment, running her finger through her jet black hair, occasionally pushing a red-streaked strand out of her face.

"Miss Zoe Orimoto, you've got yourself a deal," replied the girl, holding out a gloved hand for Zoe to shake.

Zoe smiled. "OK, Miss Kira Ishiko," Zoe replied, shaking Kira's hand respectfully.

—

"Hurry up!" Kouji yelled to the boy running behind him. The boy was about his height and age. He had dark brown hair and light brown eyes, and at the moment held a light brown and green D-Tector firmly in his hand.

"I am!" he yelled back to Kouji, glancing behind his back to see if their pursuer was still there.

"Hey, he's gone!" exclaimed the boy, stopping in his tracks. Kouji stopped, too, and looked behind to see that the boy was right.

"Thank god," said Kouji, gasping for breath. "He's been following us since this morning!"

"Thanks for the help, man," said the boy, smiling at Kouji. "If you hadn't been there, that thing would have gotten me! By the way, my name's Shino."

"Hey there, Shino." A menacing voice sounded from behind them. They turned around to see what looked like a big owl staring at them, smiling an evil smile.

"My name is Falcomon, and it seems as if I've won the chase."

—

_madjack89: _Well, here's the second chapter, everyone! Hope you liked it!

_Takuya:_ I hate you!

_madjack89: _What? Why?

_Takuya:_ You just love to torture me with these stupid cliffhanger endings, don't you?

_madjack89:_ Oh…sorry.

_Kouji:_ Yeah, you better be! Look what you did! What's gonna happen to me now!

_madjack89:_ *_sweatdrop*_ Well, aside from that, everybody say hello to the other legendary warriors!

_Daiki:_ Hi, everyone!

_Hotaru:_ Hey.

_Kira:_ What's up, guys.

_Shino:_ Yeah, hey there. Even though it looks like I'm about to be killed off, anyway!

_Kouichi:_ In the next chapter, we'll see if Kouji and Shino get killed off or not.

_Kouji and Shino:_ Kouichi!

_madjack89:_ Don't forget to R&R! See you in chapter three!


	4. Ch 3: Reunion

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier — Chapter 3: Reunion **

_madjack89:_ Hello, everyone! It's time for chapter three! My confidence has been boosted by the reviews I've gotten, not to mention some of you favorited my story! That makes me really happy! And now it's time to reply to the reviews I've received.

_*break*_

_greywindfalcon: _Thank you for leaving me two reviews! Sorry about the cliff hangers (I can't help myself!). This chapter shouldn't be too bad for you! And I enjoy reading your reviews (as I enjoy any reviews I get)! So please stick with me and enjoy chapter three!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Thanks for the review! And I wouldn't really let anything happen to them in just the third chapter. I'm not that sadistic! I just like writing cliffhangers too much! :)

_*break*_

_Takuya:_ You know, I think I like this greywindfalcon person.

_madjack89:_ Yeah, you would Takuya. Alright, it's time for chapter three!

_**Disclaimer**_**:** **I forgot a disclaimer in the last chapter, so let me remind everyone that I don't own Digimon Frontier. However, I do own the other four OC legendary warriors because I made them up and they came from my head alone!**

—

THUMP!

JP and Hotaru looked out the window to see a rock thump against the window pane. Looking down, they saw Takuya, Kouichi, and Daiki standing at the foot of the building. Takuya chucked another stone at the window just as JP slid the glass up to talk to them.

"Hey g…" The stone hit JP square in the forehead just as he began to call out a greeting. JP immediately grabbed his forehead in pain, glaring down at Takuya.

"Takuya!" yelled JP, chucking the stone back down at Takuya. The stone hit Takuya on the head, causing him to fall over.

"I'll kill you, JP!" screamed Takuya, grabbing an even larger stone to lob back at JP.

"Enough with the rock wars, guys! We have more important things to deal with!" Kouichi yelled impatiently, motioning for JP and Hotaru to come down as well.

—

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen anyone else use a hairbrush and a piece of string as a weapon like that," praised Kouji.

Shino smiled. "Well, when your life is in danger, you have to think on your feet, I guess," he said, taking a sip of his drink. After Shino had fended off Falcomon (I won't give you all the details), Kouji and Shino decided to stop at a café and get something to eat.

"Well, he's still out there, so we should stay on our guard," muttered Kouji, tensing up.

"What are you, a Navy Seal? Look, I'm grateful that you helped me out back there, but this is the real world, and whatever this thing does, it's not gonna help a couple of kids beat a monster like that," said Shino, holding up the D-Tector in his hand. "I'm sorry, but I'm heading home. This is just a little too weird."

Shino got up, preparing to leave, when Kouji grabbed his arm. "That is exactly what this device can help you do," said Kouji, grinning smugly. "Let's go meet some of my friends, and then I can explain everything to you."

—

"Wow, it suddenly makes perfect sense!" exclaimed Daiki.

Takuya, Kouichi, and JP all stared at him, perplexed. All of them, along with Hotaru, were standing under the tree outside of their school, watching as students began to file out of the building. They had skipped school and come out here in order to tell their story to Daiki and Hotaru (editing out the parts about Duskmon so they couldn't judge Kouichi on just that basis) and explain the situation to them. This, however, hadn't been the response they had expected.

"So, you're not surprised that there's a completely different world out there inhabited by super beings with immense power at their disposal?" said Takuya.

"Nope."

"And you don't think it's weird that we have the ability to convert our DNA into data and transform into said beings?" said JP.

"Nope."

"And you don't think it's odd that somehow, you and your cousin have suddenly been given the resources to transform as well?" said Kouichi.

"Nope."

"Well, that's a load off our shoulders," said Takuya, feeling relieved that Dai was into the paranormal and was crazy enough to believe them without a demonstration. "And what about you, big guy?"

Takuya directed this question at Hotaru, who merely looked at Takuya and shrugged.

"Don't bother. I haven't been able to get him to talk all day. He's like a mime," said JP, gesturing at Hotaru.

"What are you talking about? Hotaru always talks to me! Right, Hotaru?" said Daiki, looking expectantly at Hotaru.

Hotaru shrugged again. "Sure Dai, whatever you say," he said, smiling at Daiki's enthusiasm.

"But…I…he…wouldn't…" stammered JP, staring at Hotaru in disbelief.

"Well, I guess we know how to get him to talk," said Kouichi, chuckling.

Suddenly, a giant owl swooped down from nowhere and grabbed Daiki by the shoulders, carrying him high into the air.

"Dai!" cried Hotaru, looking desperately into the air. He turned sharply around to stare at Takuya, Kouichi, and JP. "Teach me how to use this D-Tector thing right now!" Hotaru demanded, a fire burning in his eyes.

"I have a better plan," said JP, taking out his own D-Tector. Takuya and Kouichi followed his example.

"It's time to test them out, guys," declared Takuya, hand already glowing with the familiar data stream. "Hotaru, watch and learn!"

With that, Takuya, Kouichi, and JP were engulfed in data. Hotaru stared, wide-eyed, as he saw what had taken their place when the data cleared.

Agunimon, Lowemon, and Beetlemon stood in front of Hotaru now, preparing to attack the owl Digimon. "Beetlemon, you catch Dai when he falls. Lowemon, follow my lead!" said Agunimon, instantly taking the leadership position.

While Beetlemon got in position, Agunimon and Lowemon went on the offensive, preparing to attack. "You can't attack it! Dai's up there!" yelled Hotaru, getting more and more anxious by the second.

"Calm down, we're not gonna hit him," said Agunimon, brimming with over-confidence.

"Don't get too cocky," cautioned Lowemon. "We don't know anything about this guy yet."

"And the best defense is a good offense," said Agunimon, fire suddenly bursting forth from his arm. "Pyro Darts!" he yelled, throwing small pins of flame at the owl Digimon.

Instead of letting go of Daiki, as Agunimon had planned, the Digimon maneuvered himself so that Daiki would take the full blast of the attack.

"Crap!" Agunimon exclaimed, rushing over to try to stop the attack.

"What'd I tell you!" yelled Lowemon, following Agunimon.

"Hang on, kid!" Beetlemon cried, rushing to get in front of the blast.

"Howling Laser!" Suddenly a beam of light shot out of nowhere, hitting the Digimon and causing it to drop Daiki. "Gotcha!" said Beetlemon, catching Daiki and placing him safely on the ground.

Everyone turned to see that the blast had come from another Digimon, this one wolf-like in appearance. It turned and smirked at Agunimon. "You never learn, do you, Takuya?" it said, amused.

"Lobomon!" cried Agunimon, too relieved to be angry.

"Kouji! Where have you been all day?" called Lowemon, relieved as well.

"I got sidetracked protecting this guy from that Digimon, Falcomon," explained Lobomon, moving to reveal that behind him stood a boy about their age that looked like he was about to faint.

"You don't say," called a voice from above. They all looked up to see a fairy-like Digimon flying toward them carrying a girl, also about their age, in her arms. This girl didn't look as frightened as the boy with Lobomon. Instead, she seemed to be laughing hysterically at some unknown joke.

"Kazemon!" Beetlemon instantly flew up to greet her.

"Look who I found in school today," she said, ignoring Beetlemon and setting the girl on the ground. She was still giggling, but when she glanced at Agunimon, she burst out laughing again.

"What?" said Agunimon, staring at the girl.

The girl took a few gasping breaths to compose herself. "'The best defense is a good offense,'" mocked the girl, still giggling. "Yeah, right! What are you, retarded? That strategy never works!"

"Hey, don't laugh at Agunimon!" sounded a childlike voice from behind them. They all turned to see Kumamon standing there, arms folded in irritation. "Though, I guess he deserves it for forgetting to pick me up from school today."

"Heh heh, sorry Tommy," said Agunimon sheepishly.

"Ninja Blade!" Everyone turned to see that Falcomon had unleashed an attack on them. Suddenly a whole volley of shuriken was flying at them at top speed.

"Anybody getting a Naruto feel right about now?" asked Beetlemon.

"Believe it," replied Agunimon.

The six legendary warriors pushed the other four out of the way as they all avoided the deadly knives.

"What do you say we take care of this guy?" asked Agunimon, glancing at the other five warriors. They all nodded their heads and began to circle Falcomon.

"Do you really think you can defeat me that easily?" scoffed Falcomon, maneuvering through them easily. "You don't even have the power of all ten warriors!"

"Oh, don't they?" Falcomon turned to see that behind him stood Ranamon, Grumblemon, Arbormon, and Mercurymon, the other four legendary warriors.

"A reunion of the ten legendary warriors," whispered Falcomon in horror as all ten closed in for a final assault.

—

"I don't know how I did that, but that was amazing!" said Daiki, literally bouncing up and down with joy.

"That was creepy," said Shino, shuddering

"Get used to it, buddy, because you're part of the group now!" said Takuya, putting his arm around Shino's shoulder. After the fight, they had quickly returned to human form and went to the park to discuss what had just happened.

"But what I'm wondering is how Falcomon got here in the first place and why he was targeting just these four," pondered Kouji.

"C'mon, buddy, we'll have plenty of time to figure that out!" said Takuya, putting his other arm around Kouji.

"You really are carefree, aren't you, Taki?" chided Kira, using her new nickname for Takuya.

"You get used to it," replied Kouichi.

"I'll say," agreed Zoe. "Sometimes I wonder if you and Kouji are the only ones who use their brains."

"What about me?" asked Tommy sweetly.

"Don't try that sweet act on me," replied Zoe, not fooled.

JP suddenly sighed. "This is gonna be a long childhood."

—

The cloaked Digimon stood staring at the image of the ten children, smiling crookedly.

"They are better than I thought," she said, chuckling evilly. "This proves that I can't just assault them physically. That would be futile. I need to find out more about their pasts, find their fears, their weaknesses. I need to get inside their heads and take them down from the inside.

"And then the resurrection can finally begin!"

—

_madjack89: _Oops, I guess that was kind of a cliff hanger ending as well. But don't read too much into the last line. That won't be explained for a while now, so don't think much about it, and everything will be cool.

_Everyone:_ *_stares*_

_madjack89:_ What?

_Takuya:_ What'd that mean when the Digimon said she'd take us down from the inside?

_Tommy:_ Are we gonna die?

_madjack89:_ Well...I guess you'll find out soon, won't you?

_Kouichi:_ So I guess we'll see what you mean by that in the next chapter.

_madjack89:_ Maybe. So remember to R&R and see you next time!

_Shino:_ Is it too late for me to duck out of the story?


	5. Ch 4: Goggle Head

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 4: Goggle-head **

_madjack89:_ Hello, everybody! It's time for chapter four, where we'll get to go into Takuya's pa…

_Voice:_ Objection!

_madjack89:_ Umm…Takuya's past and find out whe…

_Voice:_ I said, objection! I heard that you used MY catch phrase in your last chapter, and I'm gonna sue! Believe it!

_madjack89:_ Oh, it's just you, Naruto. And, you know, I'm not the first one to use your catch phrase. There are plenty of people that use it all the time.

_Naruto:_ What! Sasuke, why didn't you tell me about this?

_Sasuke:_ Your catch phrase, your problem.

_Naruto: _Nooooooo… *_runs away*_

_madjack89: _Well, that was easy. OK, now it's time to answer those reviews!

_*break*_

_Megmo8214: _As you can probably tell, I liked the Naruto part, too! And thank you for the review!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Thanks, I really enjoy writing the beginning and end commentaries, because I can just have fun with it! And it was convenient that no one saw them transform, but they DID see the Digimon, so their secret identities are safe for now…

*_break*_

_madjack89:_ Alright, time to get on with the story!

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own Digimon Frontier. I really, really don't. And, just for the record, I don't own Naruto or his catch phrase, either. **

—

"Duck!" Takuya, Kouichi, and Tommy ducked their heads just as a giant hammer swished through the air where their heads had just been.

"Dai, are you TRYING to kill us!" yelled Takuya angrily, pointing an accusatory finger at the mole-like Digimon who had swung the hammer.

"I'm sorry, but this is harder than it looks," said Grumblemon, disconcerted.

"Look what you did, Taki, you got him all depressed," teased Ranamon, otherwise known as Kira.

"Look who's talking. You always find ways to make fun of us, and we've only known you for five days!" accused Takuya, turning his attention to the mermaid-like Digimon. "I can honestly say that you are worse than Kouji!"

"Aww, I'm flattered," scoffed Ranamon, batting her eyelashes.

"Shouldn't we stop them from fighting?" asked Tommy, worried.

"No, let them fight it out. There's no point in us joining this conflict, too," replied Kouichi, giving Tommy a reassuring smile.

For the past few days, the other four warriors had been given lessons so they could practice with their spirits because, as it turned out, their Spirit Evolving to defeat Falcomon was just a fluke. They found that, before they could beat any other Digimon looking for trouble, they needed to learn how to use their spirits properly. However, it hadn't been going very well.

Currently, they were practicing in a large clearing in the woods outside of town so that no one would see them. Their last fiasco had almost revealed their human identities, and they weren't taking any chances.

"I can't believe those three got out of this! I know damn well that JP and Kouji don't play ice hockey, and Zoe's never touched a key on a piano in her life, much less taken lessons!" Takuya yelled at the sky, exasperated.

"Hey, I think I've got it!" Arbormon/Shino yelled in excitement. "Power Pummel!" he exclaimed, releasing his rope-attached arm and aiming for a tree across the clearing. However, instead of hitting the tree, he hit Takuya right in the face, knocking him against a tree.

"Takuya!" cried Tommy and Kouichi, rushing to his aide.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Arbormon exclaimed, retracting his arm and coming over as well.

Takuya seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness due to his head's impact with the tree.

"Hey, aren't these Takuya's goggles?" asked Hotaru, who had been watching the practice because, amazingly, he could already use his spirit with ease.

Everyone turned to see that Hotaru held Takuya's goggles, which must have come off, in his hands. Their eyes opened wide with shock, for the goggles had been smashed from the impact of Arbormon's blow.

—

"Huh? Where am I?" Takuya looked around, realizing that he was sitting on the front steps of his house.

"How…" Takuya was interrupted by the sound of laughter. Takuya turned to see that coming out of his house was a younger version of himself, about six years old, laughing at some unknown joke. But what made Takuya gasp was that, holding on to little Takuya's hand, was a boy who looked to be about sixteen with messy, black hair and a happy expression on his face. On his head were the very same goggles that Takuya always wore. Takuya's hands balled into fists, for he knew this boy all too well.

"Chikao," growled Takuya as little Takuya and the boy continued on down the street, passing right through Takuya as if he didn't exist.

—

"Oh no! We have to fix them!" cried Tommy, grabbing the goggles and dashing through the woods, back toward the city.

"Hold on, Tommy!" Daiki yelled after him, returning to human form and running after Tommy.

Hotaru instantly ran after them in order to look after Daiki, as the rest of them had assumed was the case for his behavior.

"Wait for me, guys!" yelled Shino, also returning to human form and following them.

Kira returned to human form, took one glance at Kouichi and the unconscious Takuya and said, "See ya." She then ran after the rest of them.

Kouichi looked down at Takuya as drool began to seep from his mouth. "Okay, I got this guys, no problem," Kouichi muttered to himself, sweatdropping.

—

Takuya stood next to an ice cream vendor, watching as Chikao bought his six-year-old self some ice cream. He glared at Chikao as he sat down with his younger self, adjusting the familiar goggles on his head. Takuya inadvertently brushed his fingers to where those same goggles sat on his head to realize that they were gone.

"Oh no! I must have lost them somewhere!" cried Takuya, looking all around him. Suddenly he stopped. "Wait a minute. This is a dream, right? So my goggles will still be there when I come to. And now that I think about it, if this is a dream, what am I getting so worked up about?" Takuya glanced over at the happy pair enjoying their ice cream. He gripped his side as if he'd just been punched in the stomach.

"This may be a dream, but the pain is real," murmured Takuya, staring down at the pavement. "I always thought of him as a brother, even if we were only cousins," Takuya continued, talking to himself. "Chikao and I went everywhere and did everything together. He never complained about taking me to the park, or playing games with me. I was shy, and talking to him was so easy." Takuya smiled a cold smile. "But I guess, in the end, it was that selfishness of mine, that craving for his company, that drove him away."

Takuya hadn't realized that, while he had been reminiscing, the sidewalk had disappeared from underneath him.

Takuya jumped in surprise as he looked around at his surroundings. He was in his room, and so was his younger self, although he noticed that a few years had passed and he was now nine.

"I'm nine! Oh no, what day is it," Takuya said, turning to glance at the calendar hanging on the wall. It was August twelfth, his birthday. His ninth birthday. The day everything had changed.

—

Kouichi shoved the unconscious Takuya through his living room window, and then climbed through himself.

"Why can't you remember to put the extra set of keys outside the door after you use them, Mom?" Kouichi muttered to himself, opening the kitchen door and placing the keys under the mat.

Then he went back to the living room, where Takuya lay in a heap on the ground, snoring. "Well, your in luck, Takuya, because it just so happens that I have had experience with head injuries myself," proclaimed Kouichi, chuckling. "Let's see what the damage is."

Kouichi propped Takuya up against a chair, took off his hat, and lifted up his hair. "Good god, he's bleeding!" said Kouichi, surprised he hadn't noticed this before. As blood began to seep down from Takuya's cut, Kouichi backed up, cringing.

"I hate blood," stated Kouichi, trying not to gag at the site of it. "Looks like I'll have to call someone to help me out." His first thought was to call Kouji, but then his mind began to drift to Zoe. After all, they'd be alone together in his house…

"No!" Kouichi said firmly, stifling that thought. "I've already made up my mind on THAT subject," muttered Kouichi, his eyes clouding with depression for a moment.

Kouichi grabbed the phone, still undecided. Finally he ignored his better judgment and dialed Zoe's cell number.

—

"Hey, Chikao!" nine-year-old Takuya exclaimed, hugging his cousin firmly.

"Stop! Just stop! You'll only hurt yourself more if you act like this!" Takuya yelled, trying to get the younger Takuya's attention. He knew it was a futile effort, but he couldn't let this happen, not again.

Chikao stood still as a statue, staring at the opposite wall from were he stood with little Takuya. Little Takuya noticed this, looking worriedly up at his cousin. "Hey, what's wrong, Chikao?" he asked.

Chikao was silent for a moment, but then he looked down, noticing Takuya's worry. "Come with me, buddy. I need to talk to you," Chikao said coldly, walking outside.

"Alright," little Takuya said, following with his birthday party hat still sitting on his head.

"No!" cried Takuya, tears forming in his eyes. "Don't you see what he's about to say? Don't you know what will happen if you go out there?"

Takuya rushed outside to see that Chikao had already started talking. "My girlfriend broke up with me today," he stated matter-of-factly, waiting for a reaction.

Little Takuya gasped, while Takuya cringed, mouthing along with his younger counterpart, "But you two were so good together. What happened?"

Chikao suddenly glared down at little Takuya, hate burning in his gaze. "You want to know why?" he asked menacingly. "I'll tell you why."

"STOP! Please, just let me wake up!" Takuya pleaded fruitlessly.

"It's because of YOU, Takuya," Chikao said, anger seething in his throat.

—

"Of all the things to have a phobia of, you choose blood?" stated Zoe mockingly. "Oh, Kouichi, what are we going to do with you?"

"I'm sorry that someone bleeding from the forehead upsets me," Kouichi replied with mock sarcasm.

After Kouichi's call, Zoe had come as fast as she could, bringing along some bandages and other first-aid supplies. They had dragged Takuya to the bathroom where Zoe was currently tending to his wounded forehead, with Kouichi leaning against the doorframe.

"Alright, he looks good as new!" Zoe proclaimed proudly, exhibiting her work to Kouichi.

"Very nice. We should open up a clinic," Kouichi joked. Zoe and Kouichi laughed at the joke, then decided to lay Takuya on the couch. After this was done, they sat at the kitchen table, waiting for Takuya to awaken. They both agreed to let Takuya figure out what he would tell his parents about the wound.

They sat in silence for a few moments, until Zoe asked, "Kouichi, can I ask you something?" Kouichi nodded, curious.

"Well, I was just wondering why you called me instead of someone else," said Zoe, blushing in embarrassment. "I know, kind of awkward question, but I'm just curious."

Kouichi sat speechless for a few moments, thinking of an acceptable answer. He knew the real answer, but he would never tell her that. Never.

Zoe expression became confused as Kouichi pondered his answer. She had thought it was an easy question.

Kouichi finally answered, "Well, you seem good with injuries, so you were the pretty obvious choice," stated Kouichi, smiling genuinely at Zoe.

Zoe giggled. "I am pretty good, aren't I?" she said, laughing.

Kouichi laughed half-heartedly, knowing full well that the real answer was that he wanted her to himself.

—

"What?" whispered little Takuya, shocked.

"I always spend time with you because you're too pathetic to have any actual friends," said Chikao, anger growing. "I never get to spend any time with any of MY friends, or have a life of my own! My girlfriend couldn't take it anymore, so she broke up with me."

Chikao paused, gauging little Takuya's horror-stricken face. Takuya looked on, powerless to stop Chikao's confession. "Well, you know what? I'm done with you. From now on, I don't want anything to do with you, so leave me the hell alone." Chikao turned and walked away, dropping his goggles on the ground beside Takuya. Darkness began to cloud his vision, and suddenly, Takuya was alone again, in more ways than one.

"Takuya, wake up! Look, I fixed your goggles!" Takuya opened his eyes to see Tommy standing over him, holding his goggles in front of him and smiling proudly.

"Fixed?" Takuya asked groggily, struggling to sit up.

"Yes, because I accidentally smashed them when I hit you. Sorry," Shino apologized, standing next to Tommy.

Takuya looked around, realizing that he was lying on Kouichi's couch. Daiki, Hotaru, Kouichi, and Zoe were also in the room. "As it turns out, the D-Tector can help us track each other down, too!" said Daiki, ecstatic.

Takuya took the goggles, inspecting them up and down. "I got my dad to fix them up! Are they all right?" asked Tommy expectantly.

Takuya looked at Tommy, almost seeing himself in Tommy. Takuya blinked, and then murmured, "I won't make the same mistake you made."

"What?" asked Tommy.

"Thank you, Tommy!" said Takuya, embracing Tommy.

—

"JP, pass me the puck!" shouted Kouji, maneuvering on the ice so that he had an open shot.

"Here it comes!" yelled JP, passing it to Kouji. Kouji trapped the puck, swung back, and sent it flying right into the goal.

"Yes!" JP and Kouji shouted in triumph.

—

_Takuya:_ You've got to be kidding me.

_Kouji and JP:_ You're right, we are.

_madjack89:_ Sorry, I couldn't resist! Alright, so how was this chapter? Trust me, this was relevant to the plot, you'll see.

_Takuya:_ Plus it mainly focused on me!

_Kouichi:_ Not to mention it revealed something about me.

_Shino:_ Alright so, in the next chapter, we'll see what happens when a Digimon shows up at the Halloween dance.

_Everyone else:_ Dance?

_madjack89:_ That's right; you guys are going to the dance! OK, don't forget to R&R, and see you next chapter!


	6. Ch 5: What's New, Pussycat?

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 5: What's New, Pussycat?**

_madjack87:_ Hello, everyone! How was your weekend? I went camping, so that should explain why I haven't posted all weekend. Sorry! But I'm here now, and we're finally gonna go to the dance!

_Kouji:_ Not me.

_madjack89:_ C'mon, Kouji, be a good sport.

_Kouji:_ Hmph.

_madjack89:_ Fine, I won't make you GO to the dance.

_Kouji:_ Seriously? Oh my god, thank you! And I thought you were a sadistic maniac after that last chapter.

_madjack89:_ Yeah, well, I'm a giver (turns around and winks). Now, let's answer to your reviews, shall we?

_*break*_

_Kayland Elric:_ Lol! Sorry I can't feel your pain because I'm already out of school (heh heh). And I've never had Dunkin Donuts smoothies before. Maybe I should try them lol! Thanks for the review!

_GoldenDragon326: _Yeah, well…I basically made Chikao a jerk on purpose so we could see why Takuya seems to protect Tommy so fiercely (so he won't be like him). And never fear, for Chikao is gonna visit soon and they're gonna have a stand-off! Thanks for all your reviews!

_greywindfalcon: _Them playing hockey was purely spur-of-the-moment because I thought that I should end on something funny and I thought that would amuse people! And I guess you now know one of the couples I was talking about! But does she like him? Read to find out…and thanks for reviewing again!

_Xanpluto:_ Thank you for your nice review! I'll try to keep it interesting, so enjoy this chapter and the chapters to come!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Wow, that's more reviews than I usually have. Hooray! Now sit back, relax, have a Dunkin Donuts smoothie (lol), and enjoy chapter five!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon Frontier, but I do own the characters that I come up with in this story. The original six I am merely using (along with any other characters that might pop up).**

—

"A dance?" shouted everyone in the class.

"Yes, a dance," explained the teacher. "It will take place on October 31st at 7:00 pm. The attire is as informal as you can get, seeing as you shall be wearing costumes to it. And you may each bring at least one guest from another school. Alright class, you are dismissed."

—

"I'm not going," stated Kouji, crumpling up his flyer and chucking it into the nearest trashcan.

"I guess I'll go, but I have no clue who to go with," said Takuya, staring at his own flyer in dismay.

"I could go to keep you company," offered Kouichi.

"Thanks buddy, but I pretty sure they meant bring a girl to the dance, not a piteous friend," muttered Takuya.

"Just trying to help out," said Kouichi, crestfallen. Kouji glared at Takuya.

"I know that, Kouichi," Takuya reassured, patting him on the back. "Me and you will just have to find dates ourselves!"

"Um, why can't we just go without dates?" said Kouichi, perking back up.

"How can you say that, Chief?" shouted JP in dismay, coming up behind them and addressing Kouichi.

"Did you just call me Chief?" asked Kouichi, confused.

"Yes, I did. I've been trying to come up with a nickname for you and that's what I came up with. But that's beside the point!" said JP, exasperated. "You can't just go to the dance solo! That's like shouting to the world that you couldn't get a date, even if you tried!"

"Where's Daiki?" Everyone jumped as Hotaru came up from behind, waiting for their answer.

"Um, well, we…it's…you see," Takuya stumbled over the words, afraid of Hotaru's gaze.

"We ditched him at the lockers," Kouji answered, recovering himself faster than anyone else. "So? You have to admit, that kid is a pain to be around, and I don't see why you waste all of your time watching him," stated Kouji.

"Kouji!" everyone else yelled, put off by Kouji's blatant honesty.

Hotaru's fists began to clench, but then he relaxed, putting on the calm and indifferent mask he always wore. He then turned around without a word and ran down the hallway toward the lockers.

"He really freaks me out," muttered Takuya, watching as Hotaru disappeared around the corner.

—

Takuya, Kouji, Kouichi, and JP walked outside to see Zoe and Kira waiting for them out front. JP rushed over to Zoe as soon as he caught sight of her.

"Hey there, Zee! You know, there's this dance going on at school, and I was hoping…" started JP, getting straight to the point.

"No way, JP, you're going to that dance with me!" Everyone turned to see a dainty girl flit up to JP and grab him by the shirt. She was pretty in a way and had long legs that looked like they were good for dancing.

"Tomoyo!" JP exclaimed, trying to break free from her grasp. "Forget it! I already said no!"

"And I already said I'm not taking no for an answer!" she yelled back, dragging JP away.

"Nooooooo!" yelled JP, shrinking into the distance.

"Um, hey guys. What's this I hear about a dance?" asked Zoe, choosing to ignore the scene they had just witnessed.

"Well, we're having a Halloween dance at school," Takuya began to explain.

"I'm not going. See you later," stated Kouji, leaving.

"A dance? Sounds like fun! So, which of you boys would like to take me and which would like to take Kira?" Zoe asked.

"What makes you think I would want to go anyway?" Kira said, sounding annoyed. "I've never been to a dance anyway, so I don't know what I'm missing. It's not like it matters."

Zoe nudged Takuya in the ribs. "Hey, why don't you take her, Takuya?" Zoe whispered.

"What! But she said she didn't want to go," Takuya whispered back, confused.

"Do you really think she means that? C'mon, go!" Zoe said, pushing Takuya toward Kira.

Kira glared at Takuya, wary. "Um, hey Kira. I was thinking maybe you could go to the dance with me," mumbled Takuya, Zoe's gaze piercing him from behind.

Kira was speechless, staring at Takuya with wide eyes and, strangely, blushing. She composed herself quickly, putting a scowl on her face. "Well, I suppose I can, if you're really THAT desperate," she answered, trying to sound annoyed.

Takuya glared back at her. "Well fine, go ahead and come with me," said Takuya, not understanding her reaction. Couldn't she at least try to be happy?

"Well, I guess I'm going with you then, Kouichi," said Zoe, proud of herself. She was so distracted by her work that she didn't notice Kouichi trying to stifle a blush beside her, a big smile on his face.

—

DING DONG!

Kouichi rushed to get the door, knowing who it would be.

"Hey there, Chief!" Takuya exclaimed jovially. He was wearing a plain white T-shirt and blue jeans, his hair was a mess, and he wasn't wearing any shoes.

"I'll ignore the Chief comment," said Kouichi, beginning to get used to his new nickname. "But who in the hell are you supposed to be?"

"I'm L from Death Note!" said Takuya, grinning cheerfully.

"Your hair's the wrong color," stated Kouichi, pointing out Takuya's brown hair.

"Close enough," said Takuya, shrugging. "And who are you supposed to be?" asked Takuya, looking at Kouichi's tattered shirt and pants.

"A guy who got stabbed," answered Kouichi, pointing out the red paint around the holes.

"You have no imagination, Kouichi."

"You're one to talk. C'mon, let's go."

Takuya and Kouichi began their trek to the school. JP was being kidnapped by Tomoyo and, though they knew Daiki was going, they felt too awkward after what had happened the other day to walk there with him.

After a few moments of silence, Kouichi asked, "Takuya, why are you so excited? I thought you were dreading going to the dance with Kira."

"Hey, I'm not gonna let that crazy chick ruin my night! I'll just get her in then leave her alone. I'm sure someone will dance with her," said Takuya confidently. "I mean, it's the same for you, right? You're just getting Zoe in because we're friends?"

Kouichi paused for a second, pondering this. As much as he would like to, he couldn't go to the dance with Zoe as a COUPLE. But he hadn't considered that he was just doing this in order to get her into the dance. He wished it could have been a little bit more than that.

Kouichi sighed. "Right," he responded, grinning. "There will be plenty of other girls there anyway, right?"

"Now, that's the spirit! C'mon, let's get a move on!" said Takuya, linking arms with Kouichi and dashing along the sidewalk, dragging Kouichi along.

—

"Are you sure about this, Zoe?" asked Kira, hiding herself behind a bush.

"Oh, c'mon, Kira! I never get to do makeovers! Now get out from behind that bush! I think I see Takuya and Kouichi coming," said Zoe, turning and waving as they approached. She had on a long black cloak and a big pointy hat.

"I'm really think I should have been the witch and you should have been the 'pretty girl' as you call it," said Kira, stepping out from behind the bush. She had on a pretty strapless green dress, to go with her eyes. Her hair was up in a cute little bun, and she even had make-up on.

"This isn't exactly my thing, Zee," Kira continued, feeling friendly enough with Zoe to use a nickname.

"Oh, you'll be fine, Kira," Zoe assured as the two boys got closer. "You'll knock Takuya right off his feet," she added under her breath, giggling.

"Hey girls, ready for the…" Takuya stopped abruptly, staring at Kira. Kira looked away quickly, embarrassed. "Wow, you sure do clean up good," Takuya muttered, flabbergasted by her beautiful appearance. Kira blushed, glaring at Takuya.

"My work here is done," murmured Zoe, smiling. "C'mon Chief, let's go," she said, beckoning for Kouichi. Kouichi followed, not minding that she had used his nickname.

As they walked toward the school's gym, a pair of cat-like eyes glared at them from a shrub not far away. "This should be quite interesting," said the cat-like Digimon, following behind them silently.

—

"Guys, you have to save me!" JP exclaimed, hiding behind Takuya and Kouichi. Zoe and Kira had gone get them some punch from the highly decorated snack table. And not just the snack table was over-decorated. Every inch of the gym was covered in black and orange streamers and balloons, not to mention all the posters plastered on the wall of all sorts of different monsters and other such things.

"I can't take it anymore! She's giving all the orders, and I don't get a single word in edgewise!" JP said exasperatedly. "She even made me wear this stupid tux! She said 'just because everyone else is going to go dressed as a freak doesn't mean we have to,'"

"Hey guys, we're back! And Tomoyo is over there having a fit, JP," said Zoe, coming up with two glasses of punch, Kira right behind her. She pointed over at the snack table, where Tomoyo was strangling a sixth grade boy with her dainty little hands.

"Oh no!" JP yelled, running in the opposite direction.

"Well, anyway, here's the punch, guys," said Zoe, handing a glass to Takuya and Kouichi.

As they sipped their punch, an upbeat song began to play. "I love this song!" exclaimed Takuya and Kira at the same time. They looked at each other for a moment, then looked away.

Takuya was the first to break the silence. "So, do you want to dance?" he said, holding out his hand. Kira nodded instantly, taking his hand and practically dragging him across the floor.

"I am amazing," said Zoe, watching as they mingled with the crowd.

"Yes, you are brilliant," said Kouichi, chuckling. Zoe laughed as well, and then it got quiet again. "So Zoe…" Kouichi began, just as a burly looking eighth grader appeared next to Zoe.

"You wanna dance?" he asked, inviting her with his outstretched palm.

Zoe considered, then said, "Okay. See you later, Kouichi." With a quick wave, she was out on the dance floor with the other boy.

Kouichi stood there, feeling like the stupidest person ever. He had his chance, but he had blown it completely. He stared out at the dance floor, glaring at the boy who was now swinging Zoe around in his arms. "Damn it," he muttered angrily, gripping a chair until his knuckles turned white.

"And you're just going to let him get away with that?" said a purring voice from behind him. Kouichi turned to see a Digimon sitting on the chair beside him. This Digimon bore a strong resemblance to a cat, and had a golden ring around its tail.

Kouichi looked around to make sure that no one was watching, then whispered, "Who are you and what do you want?"

"My name is Gatomon, and as for why I'm here, I stumbled through a portal to your world on accident," said Gatomon, flicking her tail. "I didn't know what to do, so I thought I would seek out the legendary warriors for refuge. However, it seems that I've stumbled upon a soap opera."

Kouichi looked around him, confused. "Why isn't anyone freaking out about you sitting there?" asked Kouichi, watching as two girls passed by without a backwards glance.

"See this ring on my tail?" said Gatomon, pointing at her ring. "It gives me a few special abilities. Right now, the only ones that can see or hear me are you legendary warriors."

"Well, that is pretty convenient," said Kouichi, sitting down in the chair next to Gatomon with a sigh.

"Why are you letting that boy take your girl from you? You're a legendary warrior! You shouldn't have to take that," said Gatomon angrily, gesturing toward Zoe and the boy.

Kouichi chuckled darkly. "That's just not the way things work, Gatomon," explained Kouichi. "It has to do with the difference between right and wrong, not to mention letting Zoe decide what she wants herself."

"But you haven't given yourself a fighting chan…" Before Gatomon could finish, a Digimon crashed through the wall of the gym, leaving a giant hole. Everyone screamed as a second Digimon appeared through the hole, moving forward to finish the job.

"Lobomon," Kouichi muttered, recognizing the cornered Digimon. He looked around, not knowing what to do. Of all the times to leave his D-Tector at home! He glanced at the others, but they also hadn't thought to bring their D-Tectors as they looked on at the scene before them in horror.

Kouichi was about to charge forward to defend his brother in any way possible, when Gatomon grabbed his arm.

Gatomon looked fiercely at the Digimon before her, smirking. "Raremon," she muttered, identifying the Digimon. "Step back, Kouichi dear, and I'll take care of this for you!"

—

_madjack89:_ How was that chapter? Good? Bad? In between?

_Takuya:_ Don't tell me that me and Kira are an item now.

_madjack89:_ Sorry, but no. There is a reason for your sudden attraction to her, and I'll explain that later.

_Takuya:_ We're gonna get together eventually, aren't we?

_madjack89:_ Maybe…

_Kouichi:_ Whose side is Gatomon on anyway? Ours?

_madjack89:_ Once again, you shall find out eventually. And, by the way, happy belated Father's Day, everyone!

_Kouji:_ Because Kouichi and I have such an AWESOME dad.

_madjack89:_ There's no need for sarcasm, Kouji. Alright, don't forget to R&R and see you in chapter six!

_Kouji:_ Hey, wait a minute! Is this what you meant when you said I wouldn't GO to the dance! You sadistic freak!

_JP:_ Although I do agree with Kouji, it's time to end it. See you everyone!


	7. Ch 6: The Plot Thickens

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 6: The Plot Thickens **

_madjack89:_ Hey, everybody! I believe it is time for chapter seis! In this chapter, we shall see the conclusion of the Halloween dance and possibly find out a bit more about our friend Gatomon.

_Takuya:_ Not to mention you'll GET ME THE HELL AWAY FROM KIRA!

_madjack89:_ Don't be too hasty now. Girls don't like that.

_Takuya:_ Grrrrrrr…

_madjack89:_ Oh, by the way, you got a letter, Takuya. I think it's from L.

_Takuya:_ Let me see…it says, "Greetings to the people involved in the story _Frontier 02:_ _Home Frontier_. I am L. Though I enjoyed your last chapter, I must point out that Takuya's portrayal of me can not be complete without the correct hair color. Therefore, I have sent you a wig to go along with this letter. Thank you for your cooperation. This letter will now self destruct in 5…4…3…" Oh crap! *_throws letter out window, letter explodes*_

_madjack89:_ Hey, check out this wig he sent you! You should wear it!

_Takuya:_ Fine, if he's gonna blow letters up in my face…*_puts on wig*_ Hey, not bad.

_madjack89:_ Looks good on you. Well, now that we've settled THAT matter, it's on to answering the reviews!

_*break*_

_Xanpluto:_ Thank you for the nice and very generous review! And thanks for complimenting my Kouji portrayal. I try! Anyways, thanks again!

_Kayland Elric:_ I really gotta get some of these smoothies so I can have as much energy as you! But anyway, I just addressed the wig problem, so problem solved! Thanks for reviewing!

_greywindfalcon:_ It's not really a crossover because it's not the same Gatomon, but whatever! And Kouji did act pretty oblivious there…he's losing his touch. _sigh_ Oh well! Thank you for reviewing!

_GoldenDragon326: _Sorry about the cliffhangers. I just can't stop! They're addicting! And about Gatomon…don't worry, she'll be fine! Her ring can also do more than just that… Thanks for your review!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Alright, it's time for chapter six! Yippee!

—

Gatomon lunged forward, aiming for the Raremon's head. "Are you insane?" yelled Kouichi. "That thing will murder you!"

Kouichi was suddenly speechless as Gatomon slammed right into Raremon's deformed face, distracting him from his target.

Raremon began to bellow in outrage. "Get out of here, you little runt! I have a score to settle with this guy," said Raremon, gesturing at Lobomon.

Recognition crossed Lobomon's face. "Wait, you're the same Raremon that I fought when I first got my spirit?" asked Lobomon, shocked.

"That's right, and now you're gonna get yours!" Raremon said, inhaling deeply to prepare for his next attack.

"I don't think so! Lightening Paw!" exclaimed Gatomon, punching Raremon with amazing force, her tail ring glowing. Raremon was thrown into the opposite wall, crashing and falling to the floor.

As the crowd watched the battle take place, Kouichi wove through the crowd and made his way to the others.

"Wow, that's one crazy cat," said Takuya as Kouichi approached.

"Wait a minute. Where did you get that wig?" Kouichi asked Takuya.

"Remember the beginning commentary?"

"Oh yeah."

"Well, I guess that little cat will be able to handle this. But we better not check on bandana boy just yet, or people will get suspicious," said Kira, giving the orders.

Everyone agreed, and then turned their attention back to the battle to see Gatomon dealing her final blow on Raremon. "He's all yours, kid," Gatomon smiled, gesturing at Lobomon.

"Thanks," muttered Lobomon. He didn't exactly enjoy being saved by someone else, much less a tiny cat. He then took out his D-Tector and scanned Raremon's data, watching as his Digi-Egg floated out the hole in the wall. "Where's it going?" he pondered to himself.

While Lobomon stood there staring at the hole, some of the braver female students began to slowly creep up to him. "Um, excuse me," said one, tapping Lobomon's arm. He jumped and turned around to see several girls staring at him, some of them from his own class in school.

"Uh…what?" said Lobomon slowly, replying to the girl's tapping. All the girls squealed. _Perfect,_ thought Lobomon, mentally rolling his eyes.

"Um, we were just wondering…what exactly are you?" asked another girl.

"Well," began Lobomon, hesitating. "I'm a…Digimon." He muttered the last word, glancing in his friends' direction, pleading with his eyes for them to help him.

Zoe sighed. "I'll handle this," she said, weaving into the crowd.

Suddenly, she yelled, "Hey everyone, isn't that Johnny Depp outside?" All the girls' heads turned, giving Lobomon a chance to sneak away quietly.

Zoe turned and gave the guys a thumbs-up sign. "Man, she's good," stated Takuya as Gatomon slinked over to join them.

"Well, she is a girl," Gatomon said, flicking her tail back and forth.

—

After the commotion had ended, everyone met behind the school building to discuss what had happened.

"Well Kouji, it was nice of you to drop in," said Takuya, smirking.

"Takuya, don't try to be cool. It doesn't work with you," said Kouji, slightly annoyed. As Takuya glared at him, Kouji continued, "Everything was a complete accident. I was just sitting on the steps of my house, when that giant freak showed up. I Spirit Evolved to try to defend myself, but I noticed how close we were to my house, so I ran a few blocks to put some distance from any houses that could be damaged by our fight. But he was apparently a lot smarter than I thought, because he used a shortcut and came at me from the side. He pushed me right into the nearest building, which just happened to be the school gym."

"Well, it looks as if you ended up going to the dance after all, Kouji," teased Kouichi, chuckling.

"Shut up! It's bad enough that I had the bad luck of getting ambushed, but then some teeny little CAT saves me! Do you know how humiliated I feel?" yelled Kouji, letting his anger boil over.

Gatomon smiled. "Alright, next time I promise to let the Digimon kill you," she said sweetly. Kouji scowled at her, frustrated by everything that had happened.

"Well, at least one good thing came out of tonight," said Zoe, glancing at Takuya and Kira and smiling in triumph.

Takuya stared at Zoe, confused. "Huh? Zoe, what are you talking about?" asked Takuya, tilting his head and crossing his arms.

"Oh, you know! You and Kira becoming a couple!" Zoe exclaimed happily.

"What! A couple! What are you talking about?" shouted Takuya, glancing at Kira, then Zoe, then Kira again. Kira looked shocked as well, but didn't look as angry as Takuya about the misunderstanding.

"Oh, darn. It wore off," said Gatomon suddenly. Everyone turned, giving her questioning stares. Gatomon sighed. "Let me explain. With my ring, not only can I make myself invisible, I can also manipulate the emotions of people. I thought that these two needed a push in the right direction, so I made Kira slightly more attractive to Takuya," stated Gatomon, smiling impishly.

"You what!" exclaimed Takuya, face turning bright red. "How could you do that? You manipulated me! Whose side are you on, anyway?" Takuya glared at Gatomon with skepticism.

"Takuya, she didn't know, okay? She was just trying to help," said Kouichi, defending Gatomon. Gatomon turned slightly pink, looking away quickly so that no one would see.

"C'mon Takuya, let's just go," said Kouji, dragging Takuya away.

"Wait a minute! I wasn't finished!" yelled Takuya as he disappeared around the corner with Kouji.

"Shoot! I thought for sure that they really liked each other," said Zoe, crestfallen.

"You know, I never did anything to Kira," said Gatomon softly, pointing to Kira.

She stood perfectly still, a look of complete rejection on her face. She looked like she was trying to fight back tears, but with no success as they dripped down her face, smearing her makeup.

"Oh, Kira!" said Zoe, rushing over to comfort her friend. Kouichi stood back, not wanting to make the situation worse. He began to back away slowly, walking through the gate as silently as if he'd never been there. He had a talent for doing this, and it came in handy in situations like this.

As he walked down the street, Gatomon followed him, looking sad. "You know, I never meant for that to happen. I was only trying to help," said Gatomon, anguished.

Kouichi turned, smiling. "It's alright, Gatomon. Like I said, it wasn't your fault. Kira will be fine, and Takuya will come to his senses eventually," said Kouichi reassuringly.

Gatomon looked up with sparkling eyes, admiring Kouichi's confidence. Then she looked down, knowing she had to leave. "Thank you, Kouichi dear. I have to go now," said Gatomon, slinking away.

"Where are you going?" asked Kouichi, worried that she had nowhere to stay.

"I have to go," she repeated, turning to face him. "Don't worry, you'll see me again." With that, she disappeared into the night.

"Gatomon," muttered Kouichi thoughtfully, continuing on his way home.

—

"Oh man! We miss everything, Hotaru!" exclaimed Daiki, staring at the hole in the wall. He looked glumly at the police lining the streets, already guessing what had happened.

"I even got this Sherlock Holmes outfit just for the occasion," muttered Daiki, looking down at his outfit sadly.

"Maybe it's better this way, Dai," said Hotaru, who was wearing something that looked like it could be a Watson outfit.

Daiki looked at Hotaru, puzzled. "What do you mean, Hotaru?"

Hotaru glared at the hole, eyes burning with fury. "I don't trust those Digimon people. From now on, I think that we should avoid them."

—

Gatomon walked up to the elevator doors, glancing left and right, making sure that no one, or nothing, was watching her. Then she picked up the object that was desperately trying to make its way into the elevator.

Gatomon sneered, looking down at the Digi-Egg in her paws. "Raremon, you fool," whispered Gatomon, taking out of her glove what looked like a mini walkie-talkie. The walkie-talkie began to crackle, and then a voice could be heard coming from it.

"Gatomon," said the voice in greeting.

"Greetings, milady," said Gatomon reverently.

"I trust that you found them without any complications?"

"Yes, milady. I could easily sniff them out."

"And?"

"I have introduced myself to them and am currently working to gain their trust. However, I had to destroy an interfering Raremon in order to do so. What should I do with his egg, milady?"

The voice laughed wickedly at the question. "Obviously, you should destroy him. He knows too much for him to have made it through the gate," said the voice, bored now.

"Very well," said Gatomon, looking at the egg piteously.

"Well, you know your mission. Report back to me in three days to tell me what you have found out so far," said the voice. Then the walkie-talkie crackled again, and Gatomon put it back onto the clip in her glove.

"Yes, milady," mumbled Gatomon, crushing the Digi-Egg into bits of data. She watched dully as the bits of data disappeared into nothingness. "I wonder what he would think of me now," muttered Gatomon, thinking of Kouichi. She then slunk toward the stairs, disappearing as she went.

—

_madjack89:_ So, how was that chapter? And the reason I put Johnny Depp in there is because he is my favorite actor of all time!

_Takuya:_ You're such a fan girl.

_Kouji: *shudders*_ I hate fan girls.

_Shino:_ Um, why am I suddenly not important anymore?

_madjack89:_ Sorry Shino, but you don't go to the same school as they do, so it's hard for me to fit you in at the moment. Don't worry, though, your time will come!

_Shino:_ Thanks! You're pretty nice, you know?

_Takuya and Kouji:_ Kiss up.

_Kira:_ The next chapter will focus a lot on me, Daiki, and Hotaru's relationship with the rest of the group, not to mention I'm totally going to deck Taki for his complete and utter insensitivity! *_glares at Takuya*_

_Takuya:_ No you're not.

_madjack89:_ She might.

_Takuya:_ Aw, crap. If the author says it goes, it goes.

_Kira:_ Yes!

_JP:_ Hey, wait a minute! Where did I go?

_madjack89:_ Forget about Tomoyo?

_JP:_ Oh yeah. Crap.

_Kouichi:_ Well, see you next time, everyone!

_Zoe:_ Don't forget to R&R!

_Tommy:_ Bye, guys!


	8. Ch 7: Clueless

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 7: Clueless **

_madjack89: _Ahhhh! I can't take the itch! I went to New York to visit my relatives for the weekend, and now my legs are like one giant bug-bite! They're itching like crazy! I'm gonna die!

_Takuya:_ Calm down, it's just bug-bites. You're so melodramatic.

_madjack89:_ I have to be to write a story about you guys.

_Takuya: …_Touché.

_madjack89:_ Well, it looks as if I've left you in suspense throughout the weekend. Sorry! But I'm back, and ready for a new chapter! But first, reviews!

_*break*_

_Kayland Elric: _Aww, no more smoothies. Oh well! I'll miss your reviewing for a while (as I write this, I realize you're probably already gone and won't read this until you return). Have fun on vacation!

_Xanpluto:_ Fair enough. Thanks for the review and your wait is now over!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Yeah, now I'm beginning to feel bad about that. I'll have to fix it! (ha ha ha) And don't be too mad at Takuya. He is merely oblivious. Thanks for reviewing!

_nikigrl-123: _Well, you're a new reviewer! Hello! And Zoe wasn't really thinking about that at the moment. So I guess Kouichi will have to play the love doctor (if he can get his own love life sorted out)! Thank you for reviewing!

*_break*_

_madjack89: _Alright, time for the next chapter!

_Kira:_ I've got my spike-tipped gloves ready!

_Takuya:_ Ahhhhhhhhh!

**Disclaimer/ Advertisement: I don't own Digimon Frontier. I keep forgetting about this thing, so this is the last time I'm gonna write this. Just remember that I don't own Digimon Frontier. And while I'm at it, check out the one-shot I wrote about Naruto the other day (my second story)! It's called **_**If You Give A Ninja A Kunai**_**! I just realized that I forgot a disclaimer on that story, so I don't own Naruto! Please don't sue me!**

—

Takuya trotted down the street to his school, pouting. The entire weekend he had tried to avoid Gatomon, but she just kept popping up everywhere he went, trying to make him apologize to Kira.

_Apologize for what? _thought Takuya, rounding the last turn. He then came face to face with Zoe.

"Hey, Zoe! Don't you have school?" Takuya mumbled the last sentence, noticing that Zoe looked ticked off about something. She stared at him for a second, and then she turned around, saying, "It's not over yet."

Before Takuya could ask what that was supposed to mean, Zoe was running down the street, sprinting to her own school. "That was kind of weird," said Takuya. He entered the school, pondering Zoe's behavior.

—

"Guys, did I do something wrong?" Takuya asked, looking to Kouji and Kouichi for answers.

"When?" asked Kouji.

"I don't know, but Zoe seems pretty mad at me, and Gatomon won't leave me the heck alone," Takuya explained.

"I know what you did," said Kouichi, beginning to eat his lunch.

"You do? What?" asked Takuya, jumping up from his seat with excitement.

"I can't tell you," he said flatly. "You have to figure that out on your own."

"What? That's no fair!" exclaimed Takuya, rubbing his temples.

"Just out of curiosity, what did he do?" Kouji asked Kouichi. Kouichi leaned over, whispering in Kouji's ear.

"I see," said Kouji, satisfied. "Well, looks like you will have to figure it out on your own."

"I hate you so much right now," said Takuya, staring at the twins hotly.

Suddenly, Kouji looked up and tensed. "Oh crap, here comes Daiki," said Kouji, holding his head in his hands.

"He's not that bad," said Takuya, turning around to greet Daiki. "Hey there, Dai!" said Takuya, gesturing toward the seat next to him. Daiki looked troubled for a moment, and then sat down quietly.

The other three stared at him, shocked. Daiki was usually so perky and cheerful, Kouji could barely stand it. But today, he just sat there, staring down at the table. He didn't even have any lunch.

"Um, Dai, are you okay?" asked Takuya worriedly.

"You haven't even asked me how my day is going yet," said Kouji.

Daiki glanced at all of them, and then sighed. "Guys," he began, looking depressed. "I had a fight with Hotaru the other day." He took a deep breath, then continued. "I-I don't think that he's gonna help us out anymore." Daiki reached into his pocket, pulling out Hotaru's D-Tector.

The other three stared at the D-Tector in shock, then remembered their encounter with Hotaru the other day. "Um, did Hotaru say why he wanted to quit?" asked Takuya, looking sick.

"No! He just said that we shouldn't be hanging out with you anymore, and I said we should, and then he got all mad, and now he won't talk to me," explained Daiki, hanging his head.

"Well, you should try going home and calming down tonight, and then we can think of what to do," said Kouichi, noticing how stressed Daiki looked.

Daiki looked up, confused. "Oh, I guess I never told you guys. I live with my aunt and uncle; Hotaru's parents," explained Daiki. "My mom and dad died in a car crash when I was five, so I started living with my aunt and uncle," Daiki said matter-of-factly.

The other three stared at him for a few moments, shocked that he could say that so easily. Daiki looked at their faces, and then laughed. "Oh, it's fine. It's been years and I barely remember them anyway," said Daiki reassuringly.

"Okay, so why did Hotaru not want you hanging out with us?" said Kouji, not making a big deal out of Daiki's new bit of information.

"He said that he didn't trust you, but that's probably only because you guys got annoyed with me and ditched me at the lockers that one day. He knew that I wouldn't be mad, so I guess he got mad for me," said Daiki.

The other three stared at him in shock again. "You sure are more perceptive than we thought, Dai," said Takuya.

"Thanks! And don't worry, I'm not mad. But we should probably find a way to get Hotaru to trust you guys again!" said Daiki, smiling.

"Daiki, I think I'm beginning to like you," said Kouji, smiling back.

"Call me Dai," said Daiki.

—

"Damn it!" yelled Kira, breaking yet another pencil. She had been feeling frustrated all day, thinking about Takuya. Instead of beating someone black-and-blue, though, she had gotten a box of pencils to snap in two.

_That freaking idiot,_ she thought, grabbing another pencil. She looked up at the sky, feeling a fresh wave of pain roll through her.

"Kira, what are you doing out here? You missed school." Kira jumped, then recognized Zoe standing next to her and relaxed.

"I thought I might skip a day. They say too much school can ruin your health," said Kira, breaking the pencil in her hand.

"Um, any reason for the senseless torture of pencils?" asked Zoe, pointing at the bits of broken pencil on the ground.

Kira cracked her knuckles. "Oh, you know, just blowing off some steam." Zoe noticed how red Kira's eyes were and hoped she hadn't stood here crying all day, waiting for her.

"Listen, Kira. Takuya can be stubborn sometimes, but just give him some time and he'll come around," said Zoe.

"What, that goggleheaded moron? You think I'm upset about him? Ha! Who would give him that much credit?" chuckled Kira hollowly.

Zoe sighed. _They're BOTH stubborn,_ she thought. _This could take awhile._

"So, what do you say we forget about ol' what's-his-face and you help me practice some of my moves," said Kira, grabbing her D-Tector.

Zoe smiled. "Bring it on!"

—

Hotaru stood by the shop, waiting for Daiki to come out so they could go home. Takuya, Kouichi, JP, and Tommy peeked at him from behind a wall.

"Alright, guys, you can move on to phase two," Daiki's voice came from Takuya's D-Tector.

"Roger," Takuya replied.

"Oh, and Kouji wants me to tell you that this plan is ridiculous and that you are a retard," said Daiki.

Takuya fumed. "Well, you tell Kouji that he is a big, fat-"

Kouichi covered Tommy's ears as Takuya whispered what he thought Kouji was.

"Um, should I go out now?" asked Tommy, confused.

"Sure, go ahead," said JP, trying to calm Takuya down. Tommy stepped out from behind the building's wall and approached Hotaru.

"Hotaru!" he suddenly yelled, flinging himself at Hotaru and instantaneously bursting into tears. Hotaru caught him and stared at him perplexedly.

"Hotaru, you have to help me! I was playing in the park, when, out of nowhere, some kids started beating up Kouji! You have to save him!" cried Tommy.

"Kids started beating up Kouji?" Hotaru pondered this for a second, then replied, "He can take care of himself." He turned around and entered the store in order to look for Daiki.

"What? But that was fool-proof! No one can resist Tommy when he gets like that, not even Kouji!" yelled Takuya, exasperated.

"Looks like you're having some problems," said Gatomon suddenly, leaping onto Takuya's head.

"Gaah!" exclaimed Takuya.

"Hey, Gatomon," said Kouichi in greeting.

"Oh, so this is Gatomon. Well hi, I'm Tommy!" said Tommy, reaching out to pet Gatomon.

She shied away, hissing under her breath, "I don't like to be petted."

Tommy backed up, frightened. "What's your problem?" said Takuya, reaching up to take Gatomon off his head. Gatomon avoided his grasp and landed lightly onto the ground.

"Hey, we haven't had a proper introduction either. I'm JP," said JP. He almost extended his hand for a handshake, but thought better of it and stopped himself.

"Charmed," said Gatomon, smiling.

"Oh, sure, be nice to him," mumbled Takuya, glaring at Gatomon. She suddenly turned, flashing an annoyed glance at Takuya.

"You hardly deserve any kindness after what you did," growled Gatomon.

"Don't bother, Gatomon, he doesn't realize what he did yet. Let him figure it out on his own," said Kouichi. Gatomon paused, and then relaxed herself.

"You're right," she said softly.

"Wow, you sure know how to handle her," whispered JP to Kouichi.

"I'm not trying to do anything special," Kouichi replied.

"So what are you doing here anyway?" Takuya asked Gatomon accusingly.

"What, I can't check up on you guys every once in a while?" said Gatomon.

"You've been checking up on me all weekend!" yelled Takuya.

Gatomon chuckled. "Well, actually, I thought you might like to know that there is a Digimon causing a bit of trouble downtown, and Shino is trying to take it on all by himself."

"What?"

—

"Man, what a rush!" exclaimed Kira.

Zoe giggled. _Well, at least she's happy,_ she thought.

Kira and Zoe were walking through town after blowing off some steam in the woods. Suddenly, someone bumped into Kira from behind.

"Hey, watch where you're-" Kira stopped, noticing who the person was. Takuya stared at her with wide eyes and shielded his face, expecting her to punch him any minute. When nothing happened, he looked up to see her staring back at him with an almost happy expression. Takuya was utterly confused by this response. Wasn't she mad?

"Zoe! Kira! There's some sort of issue with a Digimon downtown and we gotta go! Come on!" explained JP as he ran past them. Kouji and Kouichi were farther ahead with Gatomon and Tommy was trailing behind. They had to leave Daiki behind with Hotaru without telling him.

Kira expression suddenly darkened. She glared at Takuya, and then punched him as he stood there confused. He fell over, clutching his nose. There was blood seeping through his fingers.

"What the hell was that for!" yelled Takuya, jumping to his feet. But Kira was already running, not turning back to see if he was okay. Everyone else hadn't noticed what had happened and had continued running.

"Here," said Zoe curtly, thrusting a handkerchief at Takuya and running after the rest of them.

"Is everybody in on this but me?" muttered Takuya, blood dripping from his nose.

—

_madjack89:_ Another chapter completed! Mission accomplished!

_Kira:_ Yes! I knew you'd let me punch him.

_Takuya:_ Ow…

_Zoe:_ And there's hope for you two yet! Hooray!

_Kouichi:_ So, does anyone know what's happening in the next chapter? There aren't any cards here for it.

_madjack89:_ I think I'm just gonna wing it.

_Kouji:_ Hey, there's a card here for an upcoming chapter about me. *_reads card_, _turns pale*_ I hate you!

_madjack89:_ Well…sorry! We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Alright, see you in chapter eight!


	9. Ch 8: Distractions

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 8: Distractions **

_madjack89:_ Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated for a little bit. I had a writer's block. But now I think I'm ready for chapter eight!

_Zoe:_ Yeah, you go girl!

_Takuya:_ No! Don't encourage her! When you do that, bad things happen to me!

_madjack89:_ Calm down, Taki. I promise Kira won't punch you again.

_Takuya:_ Thank you!

_Kira:_ Dang it…

_madjack89:_ I try to please one, then I upset another…okay, it's time to answer reviews!

_*break*_

_Xanpluto:_ Yeah, I'm happy I revealed some more of Dai's character. He's one of my favorites of the characters I created! And things did happen fast in that chapter, but it's because I got all rushed because my brother wanted to get on the computer and my mom wanted me to go do something and…yeah. Thanks for reviewing!

_GoldenDragon326: _Ah, Kouji, Kouji, Kouji…I have some big plans for him. I also have plans for Mr. Clueless (Takuya), but they will come into play a little later, so be patient! Thanks for your review!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Alright, let's see what will happen next!

**Advertisement:** **I've got another story, it's called **_**If You Give A Ninja A Kunai**_**, it's about Naruto, and if you like Naruto and my writing, you should check it out!**

—

Kouji and Kouichi continued running toward the downtown area, followed by JP, Gatomon, and Tommy. Kira and Zoe also joined up with them, but Takuya seemed to be missing. _I don't want to know,_ thought Kouji and Kouichi, continuing on their way.

As they turned the corner, they saw that there had definitely been a fight because of all the upturned pavement and the broken street lights. But neither Shino nor the Digimon were anywhere to be seen.

"Hey, what gives?" JP exclaimed, catching up to the twins. "You said Shino needed our help!" JP turned his attention to Gatomon, flashing her an accusatory glare.

Gatomon shrugged. "I saw them here just a little while ago. Either Shino managed to win and scanned the other Digimon, or the other Digimon beat Shino and…" Gatomon didn't finish her sentence.

"And what?" said Shino, sneaking up behind them.

"Shino!" everyone exclaimed.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" said Shino, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"What happened here?" asked Kouji, gesturing at the wreckage.

Shino paused, looking down guiltily. "Well, I saw this Digimon…and I thought I could maybe take it on by myself." Everyone looked at Shino accusatorily. "But you didn't see this thing! It looked like a little kid wearing a wizard costume!" said Shino, defending himself. "But I wasn't even good enough to beat that little thing. Not after it started shooting fireballs everywhere. I guess fire and wood don't mix," Shino added, pulling up his sleeve to show a dark red burn mark on his arm.

"Shino!" said Zoe, rushing up to him. "You need to have this looked at! Here, I'll take you to the hospital," she declared, grabbing Shino's good arm and dragging him down the street.

"Wait! Stop! Hang on! That's not a good idea! Hey!" Shino yelled as she continued to drag him away.

"Well, I guess that's the end of that," said JP, walking away.

"Yeah, but that Wizardmon is still out there," said Kouji, grabbing JP by the collar.

"How do you know that's what it is?" choked JP, jerking away from Kouji's grasp.

"You couldn't tell from the description?" said Kouji, grinning smugly.

"You know, I think I see where Takuya's coming from," growled JP, shaking a fist at Kouji.

"Join the club," said Kouji angrily, walking away.

_Something's bothering him,_ thought Kouichi, watching as Kouji walked out of sight.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go now," said Kira, walking away as well.

"Yeah, I'm leaving too," said JP, grumbling about how Kouji should take his own advice once in a while.

Kouichi and Tommy stood there for a moment, then Tommy said, "Hey, where's Takuya?"

"Gatomon's gone, too," said Kouichi, turning to see that she had disappeared.

—

Takuya grimaced, looking at his nose in the mirror of his bathroom. It didn't look so hot. _Damn it, Kira,_ thought Takuya, washing off the dried blood. He had decided that the rest of the guys would be able to handle the Digimon while he went home and examined his nose. Luckily, his mother had gone shopping, so she hadn't seen his nose when he came in. However, he had to pay his younger brother not to tell their mother about it.

"Well, it looks better now," said Takuya, admiring his handiwork on his nose.

"Um, Takuya?" called his brother from the other room. "There's someone at the door for you."

Takuya walked to the front door to find Hotaru standing there with Daiki right behind him. "Hey there, Takuya," said Daiki feebly, waving from behind Hotaru's back.

Takuya waved back, and then glared at Hotaru. "So, I heard you quit," said Takuya, trying to remain calm.

Hotaru sighed. "Of course I did. I'm not going to risk mine or Daiki's life playing these stupid little games."

"They aren't games!" cried Takuya with much more force than was needed. Daiki flinched, while Hotaru remained calm.

"We never asked for this-"

"Neither did we," Takuya interrupted.

Hotaru continued, "I just think that this is too dangerous, mostly for Daiki."

"He's a big kid; he can take care of himself."

"You've only known him for a short time, while I've known him his whole life. Therefore, I know what's best for him."

"You're treating him like a child!"

"Since when was it our responsibility to protect people from these things?"

"We're the only defense they have!"

"Takuya, what are you yelling about?" asked his brother, Shinya, from the living room. Takuya and Hotaru ignored him and continued their argument.

"What if someone gets hurt?" asked Hotaru.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, but you can't tell Daiki what he can and can't do!"

"I'm not backing out without Daiki!"

"Why, huh? Why is it that both you and Daiki have to take the cowardly way out?"

"Because I can't watch him suffer again!"

Takuya paused as Hotaru glared at him with pure hatred in his eyes, his words still ringing in the air. Then he abruptly turned around, dragging Daiki along with him. Daiki gave Takuya one last reassuring smile, and then they were gone.

"Watch him suffer again," muttered Takuya, thinking of what Daiki had said before. _Is there more to that story than he's telling us?_

"Takuya, since when were you friends with a giant and a midget?" asked Shinya.

—

Zoe and Shino both walked quickly out of the hospital, making sure they weren't seen. Once they were a safe distance away, Zoe said, "Shino, why didn't you tell me that your mother is a doctor?"

"I tried, but you didn't give me a chance. See why I didn't want to come here?"

"She would freak out, wouldn't she?"

"Trust me, she would do more than freak out."

Zoe and Shino chuckled at the thought. "Zoe, you sure are assertive, aren't you?" stated Shino, smiling at Zoe.

"Well, I have to be, considering how many of my friends are guys."

"How many of your friends are girls?" asked Shino, innocently curious.

Zoe paused, smiling sadly. "One."

Shino looked shocked. "But…that…Kira…is…" he stuttered.

Zoe smiled. "I'm not all that popular at my school. Kira and I are usually just ignored by everyone."

Shino stared at her, concern evident in his eyes. _I wonder if the others know about this, _he thought.

"I know what you're thinking, but please don't tell the guys!" pleaded Zoe. "I don't want them to worry about me. They always overdo things!"

Shino paused, and then sighed. "Okay, I won't tell them," he said in defeat.

"Thank you, Shino," said Zoe, giving him a hug.

"Um, hey Zoe." Zoe turned to see Kouichi standing there, shifting his feet awkwardly.

"Hey there, Kouichi!" she exclaimed, pushing Shino away gently but firmly. "I was just glad that his burn wasn't serious, right Shino?" She turned around, winking in Shino's direction.

Shino sighed. "Right, Zoe." Zoe smiled, glad that she had kept her secret safe.

"So, what brings you here, Kouichi?" asked Zoe, turning to face Kouichi.

"Um, I live this way," Kouichi replied.

Zoe paused, and then laughed, realizing she had known that already. "Sorry, I'm a little scatter brained right now," she said sheepishly.

"Well, I have to get home," said Shino, walking the opposite way.

"I think I'll go too. See you later, Kouichi!" Zoe waved as she followed Shino down the street.

Kouichi waved, smiling. When she rounded the corner though, his eyes clouded as he remembered the scene he had walked in upon.

"What were they really doing?" he muttered to himself, imagining several possibilities. He grimaced for a moment, and then calmed himself down. "No," he said to himself, continuing on his way down the street. "Shino is my friend, and I won't hurt him. If Zoe ends up with him, then good for them."

—

A pair of eyes stared at Kouichi from a nearby alley as he walked away. The eyes belonged to a Digimon that looked at Kouichi expectantly. "He's perfect," he muttered happily, chuckling to himself.

"Wizardmon!" The Digimon turned at the sound of Gatomon's angry voice behind him.

Wizardmon chuckled. "You're mad at me, aren't you? That's why you brought the warrior brats."

"You were supposed to keep a low profile and not draw attention to yourself!" hissed Gatomon.

Wizardmon smiled. "And weren't YOU supposed to keep an eye on the brats at all times?"

"Well, unlike YOU, I can't keep an eye on all of them at once," fumed Gatomon.

Wizardmon smiled, holding up his wand. Suddenly, three copies of Wizardmon surrounded Gatomon. Gatomon growled threateningly as Wizardmon stepped up to her, still smiling. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. I've found the perfect target for my little attack," Wizardmon whispered in Gatomon's ear.

Gatomon's ears twitched slightly. "That's just dandy," she said darkly. They both chuckled, and then Wizardmon waved his wand, getting rid of the clones.

"I'll need some time to prepare, so make sure you distract them long enough for me," said Wizardmon, disappearing from sight. Gatomon stood there, a worried expression playing on her face.

"Kouichi," she said softly, leaping lightly down the street, the same direction that Kouichi had gone. "What can I do?"

—

_madjack89:_ Well, there it is! How'd you like it?

_Shino:_ Well, I'm in the story again, so I have no complaints!

_Daiki:_ And we sure are getting a lot of character development!

_Kouji:_ …It's gonna happen soon, isn't it?

_madjack89:_ I'm afraid so, Kouji. But don't fret! The next chapter will focus on getting Hotaru back in the group, with a little help from Gatomon.

_Takuya:_ Why Gatomon?

_madjack89:_ Because.

_Takuya:_ …

_madjack89:_ Alright, I'll see you later!

_Kouichi:_ Remember to R&R!

_Zoe:_ And have a good day! Or evening! Or…whatever!


	10. Ch 9: Choice

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 9: Choice**

_madjack89:_ Hey there, everyone! I was just browsing around on youtube, and you know what I learned? Digimon Adventure teaches people how to hitchhike and kick puppies! Kicking a puppy is a terrible thing to do! Ken is a jerk! And what if something had happened to them when they hitchhiked?

_Takuya:_ Yes! Take that, Tai! You too, Davis!

_madjack89:_ Takuya, I still like Digimon Adventure. It just surprised me because I missed those episodes. And are you really one to talk, Mr. Walk In On Zoe When She's Changing?

_Takuya:_ …

_Zoe:_ Well, she's got a point.

_Ken:_ And I get better by the end.

_Kouji:_ Ken? What are you doing here? Go away! This isn't your fanfiction.

_Ken:_ If it were MY fanfiction, me and Davis would probably already be—

_Kouji and Kouichi:_ AHHHHH! I don't wanna hear it!

_JP:_ Ewwww…

_Tommy: _What?

_Kira:_ We'll tell you when you're older, kid.

_Tommy:_ Everyone always says that…

_madjack89:_ Okay…? I think it's time I answered your reviews.

_Takuya:_ Wait!

_madjack89:_ What?

_Takuya:_ Can I answer the reviews this time?

_madjack89:_ Um…sure, I guess.

_Takuya:_ Sweet! Okay, here I go!

_*break*_

_GoldenDragon326:_ Well, of course the side commentaries are awesome! They usually have me in them! But about Gatomon…I hate her! She's always a jerk to me! I hope I get to scan her! Really soon! And thank you for reviewing!

_greywindfalcon:_ Hey, you're my buddy from before! How are you? I'm pretty good…wait, what do you mean by message? Hey, are you in on it, too? And what's this Zoe and Kouichi stuff? Since when are they together? I am so confused! Can somebody please explain all this to me? Why…why…why…

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Alright, while Takuya bangs his head against a pole, let's get on to chapter nine!

_Ken:_ Wow, he is really oblivious, isn't he?

_Kouji:_ He may be an idiot, but he's our idiot.

_Ken:_ I feel your pain.

—

Takuya stood near the school gate, glaring at Hotaru with malice. JP, Kouichi, even Kouji flinched back from him, scared by the look in his eyes. He had been like this for the past week and he was just getting himself angrier by the second.

After their encounter, Hotaru had been ignoring all of them. He had even threatened Daiki not to go near them, so the only time they could really talk was in class. Daiki seemed confident that Hotaru would get over this and everything would be back to normal. Takuya knew that wasn't true. There was more to what was going on than he was telling them. He continued to think this as he watched Hotaru and Daiki walk through the gate, not giving him a second glance.

JP snorted. "Okay, I've had just about enough of this! Can't you two just kiss and make up or something?" stated JP, pleading Takuya with his eyes. The twins looked at Takuya too, ready to grab him if he tried to fling himself at JP.

Takuya glared at JP, and then sighed angrily. "No, JP. It isn't that simple. Don't you see that?"

"All I see are you two being complete asses!" exclaimed JP, anger mounting.

Suddenly understanding crossed Kouji's face. "I see what you mean now," he said.

JP and Kouichi gave him confused looks, not getting what he meant. "You think that something hurt Daiki in the past, like maybe he was in that car accident that killed his parents, and Hotaru doesn't want that to happen again, don't you?" said Kouji, voicing Takuya's thoughts.

Takuya smiled. "I swear, we must be on the same wavelength, Kouji," he said, confirming Kouji's assumption.

"Hm, that is possible," said Kouichi, giving credit to their thought.

JP still looked sullen. "Well if that's the case, we need to rest his fears that Daiki will be hurt, but we all know that that is a very likely possibility, including him."

Their faces fell, knowing that JP was right. Then Takuya perked up, an idea forming in his head. "What if we showed Hotaru that we could protect Daiki from getting hurt?"

"And how do you propose we do that?" asked Kouji.

Takuya shrugged. "I'll call you once I figure something out!" Then he turned and ran down the street, heading toward Tommy's school so he could pick him up.

—

Daiki looked up at Hotaru, confusion apparent in his light green eyes. Hotaru had never acted like this before. He had always been fair with Daiki. He had never gone this far for his safety. Why was he starting now?

Daiki had tried to stay optimistic, saying that Hotaru would get over this and go back to being his usual calm and collected self. But he knew that this wasn't just about his fight with Takuya. This barely had anything to do with that. This was about Daiki's safety. Daiki's health. Daiki's heart.

Daiki shrugged off the memory, putting it back into the deep recesses of his mind. That was how he dealt with depressing things. By shrugging them off. And as he stared up at Hotaru, seeing the cold expression he always wore nowadays, he found that he couldn't just shrug this off. _This isn't Hotaru,_ he thought, a determined expression crossing his face. _So I'll have to bring the real Hotaru back!_

In that same instant, Daiki yanked his arm from Hotaru's grip, wheeled around, and ran down the street, feet pounding against the pavement.

"Daiki!" cried Hotaru, a mixture of shock and anger crossing his face as he ran to catch up to him.

_I'm sorry, Hotaru,_ Daiki thought guiltily as he crossed a street and disappeared around a corner, leaving Hotaru far behind.

—

"Daiki!" Kouji jumped as he heard Hotaru's voice from around the corner. He stopped abruptly, noticing Daiki rounding a corner on the opposite side of the street. In the same moment Hotaru dashed out in front of him, heading for the street. However, Hotaru hadn't noticed that a car was speeding down the road as he stepped off the sidewalk.

Kouji reacted almost instantaneously, holding Hotaru firmly by the arm and yanking him backward just as the car sped past the spot where Hotaru was just a second ago. Hotaru stood motionless for a moment, realizing the gravity of what could have happened.

He turned, intending to briefly thank Kouji and continue on his way, when he saw that Kouji was more rattled than he was. Hotaru noticed that Kouji was shaking slightly and he still had Hotaru's arm in a death grip. But he didn't even seem to be focusing on Hotaru as he was looking out at the street, a mixture of fear and pain clouding his gaze.

"Hey Kouji! Hey Hotaru! Heading home?" Zoe's voice sounded from behind them as she came up the road, still wearing her school uniform. Then she noticed how tightly Kouji was holding Hotaru's arm. "Are you guys okay? What happened?"

Kouji instantly let go of Hotaru's arm. Hotaru noticed that he had also instantly recovered from a moment before and now looked indifferently at Zoe. Kouji shrugged, saying, "A car was coming, so I stopped Hotaru from running in front of it."

Zoe gave Hotaru a puzzled look. "I thought I saw Daiki on the other side of the street, Hotaru. Were you chasing him or something?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Kouji added.

Hotaru glanced at Kouji for a second, thinking, _It's none of my business. If Kouji doesn't want to tell us, I have no right to pry._

Then he turned to Zoe and said, "While we were walking home, Daiki ran away from me suddenly."

"Well, maybe it's because you pushed him too hard!" Zoe said accusingly. Seeing Hotaru flinch, she softened a bit, saying, "Look, I know that you were just thinking of Daiki's safety, but this is something that involves both of you and whether you like it or not, you're responsible for the safety of, not just Daiki, but two worlds now."

Hotaru stared down at the pavement for a moment, thinking of what Zoe had just said, and what Kouji had just done. Then he slowly raised his head. "I'm not making any promises for now, but if you can help me find Daiki, I'll be extremely grateful."

Zoe and Kouji looked at each other, and then at Hotaru. "Well, I suppose it's a start," Zoe said, grinning brightly.

—

Gatomon stood in the alley, watching as Daiki ran up the street, getting closer and closer to her. She turned to the Digimon behind her, giving it a small nod. Instantly the Digimon moved out in to the street, blocking Daiki's path.

Daiki stopped in his tracks, staring at the big, black, dog-like Digimon in front of him. The Digimon smirked. "This is pathetic. How can this tiny weakling possibly be a legendary warrior?" Then the Digimon laughed, watching as people stared at it with shock and horror.

"You're just another one of them, after all. And you don't have your precious little 'leader' to save you this time!"

Daiki stared at the Digimon, recognition dawning on him. "Takuya told me about you. You're that Digimon he fought when he first got his spirit. Your name was…um…uh…it was…hm…"

The Digimon looked at Daiki in shock. He was just standing there trying to figure out his name! He wasn't even concerned that a giant Digimon had appeared in front of him ready to kill him. The Digimon reared back, anger flashing in its eyes. "I'll shut your stupid mouth for good! Emerald Blaze!"

Then the Digimon leaped up into the air, spewing green flames from its mouth and from the mouths of the other two heads on either side of its main head. Everyone else in the area began to run, while Daiki ducked into an alley. For a moment he thought he saw Gatomon, but he knew it couldn't be her because she would be helping him.

Daiki reached into his pocket, pulling out his D-Tector. He quickly Spirit Evolved to Grumblemon then dove on top of the Digimon, halting his fiery assault. The Digimon grunted and shrugged of Grumblemon like he weighed nothing at all. Grumblemon landed with a thud onto the pavement, while the other Digimon cackled.

"I knew you were just another worthless little shrimp!" It paced toward Grumblemon slowly, claws gleaming in the afternoon sun. Grumblemon struggled into a sitting position to see the Digimon getting closer and closer, hate burning in his eyes. "Your idiot of a leader only managed to beat me because I let my guard down. Now I think I'll return the favor by killing one of his own! An eye for an eye!"

While the Digimon chuckled to himself, Grumblemon was bouncing up and down with excitement. _This is the first actual battle I've had by myself! _he thought, eyes shining. _Alright, I have to concentrate. The others said that I could pull my hammer out of the ground anywhere, so all I have to do is reach down and…_

Grumblemon got up, raised his hand, and brought it down again, aiming for the pavement. The Digimon stared at him in confusion then amusement as his fist hit the pavement at full force. It started laughing hysterically as Grumblemon hopped up and down, cradling his injured hand.

"I'll just end this now before you have another chance to embarrass yourself!" the Digimon growled between chuckles, raising his paw in the air and preparing to bring his claws down upon Grumblemon. However, just before his claws met with their target, someone jumped in front of Grumblemon, holding his paw just above their face.

"Just can't stay out of trouble, can you Dai?" smirked Agunimon, turning and winking at Grumblemon.

"I think that this big puppy needs to back away from you guys before I decide to attack!" exclaimed Kumamon from behind the Digimon's back.

"An ambush, huh?" muttered the Digimon, lowering its paw and shaking with anger.

"How did you guys get here so fast?" asked Grumblemon, both thankful and disappointed that they had showed up.

"Well, actually, we were just coming back from the party store when we saw a group of people running down the street, screaming about a giant monster." Agunimon turned to face the Digimon. "I'm guessing you're the giant monster, eh Cerberumon?"

"Oh yeah, that was his name!" said Grumblemon.

"Finally I can stop being called 'the Digimon,'" grumbled Cerberumon. (Sorry! ^.^)

Cerberumon lowered his head, chuckling softly. "You think that I'll just lie down and let you push me around?" He lifted his head sharply, whirled around, and lashed both Kumamon and Agunimon with his tail. The force of the attack sent them flying into the walls of buildings surrounding the street. "I won't go down that easily!"

"Not so fast!" exclaimed Beetlemon, leaping from the top of a building toward Cerberumon. "Thunder Fist!" Beetlemon yelled, hands glowing with electrical energy as he pounded them onto Cerberumon's head. Cerberumon cried out in pain, shaking his head back and forth.

Meanwhile, Agunimon and Kumamon rose to their feet and joined Grumblemon.

"Alright guys, I think its time we rapped this up! Pyro Punch!"

"Crystal Freeze!"

"Seismic Sledge!"

"Lightening Blitz!"

The attacks hit Cerberumon, causing him to scream in pain before Grumblemon held up his D-Tector and scanned Cerberumon's data, leaving just his Digi-Egg.

Everyone turned back to human form, sighing in relief. "Well, at least I figured out that hammer thing by the end!" said Daiki, smiling.

"Good job, Dai." Everyone but Daiki jumped at the voice coming from behind them.

Daiki turned, smiling. "Thanks, Hotaru!" Behind them were Hotaru, Kouji, Zoe, and Gatomon. Hotaru seemed to be considering something. Takuya was about to poke him when he suddenly lifted his head.

"Okay, I give up," said Hotaru, raising his hands in defeat. "I guess Dai and I are back on the job."

"Wha…" Takuya and JP exclaimed, confused by Hotaru's logic. Daiki hopped up and down happily.

"Hooray, my plan worked!" he said triumphantly.

"Actually Dai, it was Takuya, JP, and Tommy that really changed his mind," explained Zoe, resting her hand on Tommy's shoulder. "You see, Hotaru was really worried that if Daiki got in a fix, no one would lift a finger to help him. But, thanks to you three, his fears were put to rest. Good job guys!"

"Oh, I think I get it," said Tommy, grinning happily.

"Yeah," said JP, nodding his head.

"Okay, but how did you figure all of that out, Zoe? And where did you all come from?" asked Takuya, still confused.

"First of all, I'm perceptive when it comes to people's emotions," said Zoe in a bored tone, thinking it would have been obvious. "Second, Daiki can only run so fast. He was pretty easy to catch up to. And Gatomon just popped up like she always does."

"You put on a great show, Taki," said Gatomon, smirking. _And good job getting Hotaru and Daiki back into the group for me._

"But that still doesn't explain everything…" said Takuya.

"Alright, now I think I have some questions," said Kouji, speaking up. "First off, where the hell did you come from, JP?"

"I go wherever a hero is needed!" exclaimed JP, posing.

Kouji stared at him. "Yeah, I'm just gonna move on. Why did you stop us from helping Daiki when it looked like he was in trouble? I mean, before Takuya and Tommy showed up?" he asked, moving his attention to Hotaru.

"Dai," corrected Daiki.

"Whatever," said Kouji.

Hotaru looked at Kouji for a second then shrugged.

Kouji's eye began to twitch. "What are you, a mime! We couldn't shut you up for these last few chapters!"

Hotaru shrugged again. "It's okay, Kouji. That's how he is," said Kouichi, coming up behind him.

Everyone turned around and looked at him. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but where did you come from, Chief?" JP asked Kouichi.

"I jumped through a plot hole," stated Kouichi.

Everyone stared at him, sweatdropping.

—

_madjack89:_ Well, there it is! For some reason, it took me three days to write this, **so you guys** **better appreciate it**! (kidding) So really, how was it?

_Takuya:_ What was with the twenty questions ending?

_madjack89:_ **Do not question your author!**

_Takuya:_ Okay, okay…jeez.

_Daiki:_ Hooray! Does this mean I get to be in more of the action?

_madjack89:_ Sure!

_Daiki:_ Yeah!

_Hotaru:_ …

_Kira:_ Okay, yippee for them. But what about me?

_madjack89:_ Your star will shine in the next chapter, Kira, rest assured.

_Tommy:_ Does that mean that you and Takuya are gonna smooch?

_Takuya:_ **HELL NO!**

_Kira:_ Idiot! *_punches him*_

_madjack89:_ And I think I'll move Kouichi and Zoe on a little bit.

_Kouichi:_ I swear I'll have an ulcer by the end of this…

_madjack89:_ No you won't. Alright, have a happy Fourth of July! See you!

_Zoe:_ And drive safely!

_JP:_ And don't eat the yellow sand!

_Everyone: *stares*_

_JP: _What?


	11. Ch 10: Closet Confessions

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 10: Closet Confessions**

_madjack89:_ Yo yo yo, dogs. It's me, here to bring you the ever lovely F2HF! Now with almost 70% more romance! Woot!

_Kouji: _I still have one question that needs answering.

_madjack89:_ And that would be?

_Kouji:_ Was Takuya at the party store to get supplies for some hare-brained scheme?

_Takuya:_ Um…no! Heh heh, of course not! Ha ha ha…

_Kouji:_ …So what did you get?

_Takuya:_ …Streamers.

_Kouji:_ *_sigh* _I don't even want to know.

_madjack89: _Oh, by the way, Kouji, since Takuya got to answer reviews last time, you get to answer reviews this time, okay, go!

_Kouji:_ What?

_*break*_

_GoldenDragon326:_ But I…oh, whatever. Fine. Let's see…alright, first of all, I'M FREAKING JAPANESE! I don't care if it's the Fourth of July! (they are talking to me, Kouji) Hey, I thought I was answering these things! Grr…okay, to answer your question, a plot hole is basically like a random, unexplained occurrence in the plot of a story, show, etc. Kouichi randomly showed up at the end, so madjack89 made a little joke about it. That good enough for you? (do the face!) _sigh_…^.^ Happy? (yes!)

_greywindfalcon:_ What, another one? Fine then, if it gets you off my back. _reads_ Ha, nice! He is very, extremely oblivious. But you have made a point. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him or anything…and he's not the worst leader in the world…and he's a good friend…wait, why am I telling you this? God, these reviews are getting on my nerves…and I happen to know what happens in this chapter, and I assure you that Takuya won't be as mad as you think he'll be. That all? Okay, good.

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Thanks, Kouji!

_Kouji:_ Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're lucky I'm so nice.

_Takuya:_ Nice?

_Kouji: *punches Takuya*_

_Takuya:_ Why does this keep happening to me?

_madjack89:_ Sorry Taki. Okay, time for a super-special-awesome new chapter!

—

"Hurry up Taki. We're gonna be late!" Kouji beckoned to Takuya, who was lagging behind Kouichi and himself.

Takuya glared at Kouji and sneezed. "Well, it's not my fault that it's so damn cold! You know I hate cold weather! And since when were you allowed to call me Taki?" He sneezed again, shivering slightly.

"You let Kira call you Taki," Kouji retorted, smirking.

"That's different!" Takuya yelled. He had at least realized that Kira was mad at him and had been trying to be nicer to her. However, she was still being as cold to him as ever. He sneezed again, shivering more violently.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kouichi asked, worried.

"I'll be fine once we reach the café," said Takuya, scrunching up his shoulders and trudging farther along the sidewalk.

Takuya and the others were going to meet Zoe and Shino at a café to celebrate Christmas Eve and they were already late. JP was going to be there as well, but he would be busy with Tomoyo, the crazy, controlling chick who seemed to be nuts about him. He couldn't really complain though, because she WAS treating him. But he had been in remorse all week about sending the wrong "signals" to Zoe. Daiki and Hotaru were visiting relatives, as was Tommy. Kira had refused to go if Takuya was going to be there.

Takuya shivered, stifling a sneeze. "Please tell me we're almost there," he moaned, getting sick of the freezing wind slamming against his face.

"Don't worry, we'll be there in a few more minutes," said Kouji, perfectly at ease in the frigid weather.

"C'mon, let's get a move on!" Kouichi took the lead, practically sprinting ahead of the other two. Kouji and Takuya stared at him, confused. Kouji had noticed Kouichi getting more and more tense as they continued toward the café. _What's bothering him? _he thought, worry creasing his forehead.

Kouichi closed his eyes for a second, trying to calm himself down. _Why am I getting so worked up? So what if Shino and Zoe are there alone…_ Kouichi's hand clenched involuntarily. He sighed._ I'm a mess._

—

"Here they come!" Tomoyo jumped down from her post atop a table near the window, running behind the counter.

"Alright, is everyone ready?" she asked.

"Roger," said Shino, leading Kira to a closet in the back of the café.

"Yup," replied JP, opening the closet door. "Okay Kira, get in and let the love commence!"

Kira glared at him, making him jump in fear. She smirked. "Yeah right. This is just gonna be another disappointment." She stepped into the closet and sat down. "Thanks for ruining my Christmas."

"You're welcome," replied Zoe, turning off the lights and ducking behind the counter with Tomoyo, JP, and Shino.

The door opened and Kouji, Kouichi, and Takuya stepped inside. Takuya and Kouichi looked around in confusion, while Kouji grabbed Takuya from behind. Takuya's eyes widened in shock as Kouji muffled his mouth with his arm.

"What…?" Kouichi watched Kouji in confusion. He, of course, had no trouble seeing in the dark, and now stared at Kouji, wondering if this was a Digimon attack or not.

Kouji dragged Takuya to the back of the cafe and then shoved him into a closet, closing and locking the door.

Takuya sat in the closet for a second, completely confused. He got up and knocked on the door, yelling, "Kouji! What the hell are you doing? Let me out!"

"Alright guys, come on out," said Kouji from outside the closet. "I can't really see where you are, so could you turn on the lights?"

The lights flicked on and Zoe and Tomoyo squealed, slapping high fives. "Kouji, that was awesome!" Zoe happily hugged Kouji while JP and Shino also got out from behind the counter.

Kouichi stood in the middle of the café, cocking his head in confusion. "Um, can someone please explain why locking Takuya in the closet is a good thing?"

JP blinked. "No one told Chief?" Everyone stared at each other, shaking their heads. JP sighed. "Well, sorry we left you out of the loop, Chief, but I'll explain. You see, since Christmas Eve is one of the most romantic nights of the year, we decided to speed things up with Takuya and Kira and make them spend tonight together, whether they want to or not. So we decided to go for locking them in a closet. Sorry we didn't tell you sooner."

"My aunt owns this café and agreed to let us do this," Tomoyo added, holding up a set of the café's keys.

"You mean Kira's in there?" Kouichi looked at the closet and smiled. "That could work."

"Wait a minute!" Takuya's voice came from inside the closet. "You mean that she's…" There was a shuffling sound, and then a desperate banging on the closet door. "Oh my God, let me out! I'm too young to be pummeled to a bloody pulp by a girl!"

"Technically she's a Yankee," said Kouji.

"I am not a Yankee, bandana head!" Kira's voice yelled from the closet.

"Don't worry; we'll come back at midnight to pick you up. Have fun!" Zoe said as everyone followed her out the door.

"Wait!" Takuya banged one last time and sank to the floor, clenching his fists. "Perfect, just perfect," he muttered to himself.

Kira stared at him and smirked. _He is such a moron. _She turned and walked to the back of the closet, sitting on a box near a heater the others had generously provided. She looked at him again and noticed that he was shivering. _He really can't take the cold, can he?_

"You know, there's a heater back here," she said, gesturing to the box beside her. Takuya flinched, staring at Kira warily. "Taki, I promise I won't do anything to you. You seem cold and miserable enough as it is."

Takuya considered for a moment then got up and joined Kira near the back of the closet, sitting on a box on the opposite side of the heater. He took off his winter gear and began rubbing his hands together over the heater. He glanced up at Kira and muttered a short "Thanks."

Kira's expression stayed cool, though she was beaming inside. "You're welcome."

—

"I am a genius!" Zoe skipped merrily along the sidewalk, grinning broadly. "This will, without a doubt, get those two together. I just know it!"

"Here are the keys, Zoe," said Tomoyo, handing Zoe the restaurant keys. "Just give them back to me in a few days. As for us…" She stared at JP with pleading eyes, puckering up her lips.

JP stepped back, using his arms as a barrier. "I said I'd help with the plan when I got to the café. I did NOT agree to go out on a romantic evening with her!"

"JP, you did agree to go to the café with her, so just humor her with a date, at least," said Zoe, also making pleading eyes.

JP sighed. "You have everyone on your side, don't you?" He grabbed Tomoyo's arm gruffly. "Alright, let's get this over with."

"Yes!" Tomoyo ran quick as a flash down the street, dragging JP along with her. "Merry Christmas!"

"Yeah, well, I've done my part, so I'm just gonna go now," said Kouji, turning to head for home. Zoe grabbed the back of his collar and pulled.

"Oh no, you don't. I'm not letting you be the only one to spend Christmas Eve alone," she said with authority.

Kouji wrenched his jacket from her grip. "I was alone before I met you guys. What would make tonight any different?"

They stared each other down for a few seconds. Then Kouji sighed. "Fine then. I get dragged into almost everything else…"

"So, where exactly are we going?" asked Shino, speaking for the first time.

Kouichi flinched slightly. _Oh, I forgot. HE'LL be there too. _Kouichi shook his head. _Calm down. I just need to calm down, and I'll be fine._

"Kouichi! Aren't you coming to the park with us?" Kouichi looked up to see that everyone was already walking away and he was still standing there.

"Sorry. I'm coming," he said, catching up with the rest of them. He glanced at Zoe, watching the way her hair fluttered in the cold breeze. He put his head down to hide that he was blushing. Then he smiled. _Merry Christmas, I guess!_

—

Kira flipped out the book she had brought with her in order to pass the time while Takuya continued warming up his toes. There was silence, and then Takuya asked, "So, what are you reading?"

Kira flipped another page of her book, ignoring him. Takuya glanced down to see what it was. He noticed that it was a manga. "You like manga, too? That's cool." There was more silence. "Which series is it?"

Kira sighed, putting her book away. "You're not gonna let me have any peaceful reading time, are you?"

"Well, I thought maybe I could start a conversation. We'll be in here a while," he said, looking down at the floor.

_Oh, why did he have to go and make the poor little puppy dog face?_ Kira smiled at him. _It's that kind of thing that got me attracted to you in the first place, you little goggle-headed fool._

"Alright then, what do you want to talk about?" Kira asked Takuya. Takuya looked up, startled.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe, like, uh…what movies have you seen lately?" he asked.

"I don't see too many movies. I'm usually busy working at my aunt's shop. Someone's gotta earn a living, and it's not gonna be my dad anytime soon."

Takuya's eyes widened. This was more of an answer than he expected. "Your dad doesn't work? Wait, wait, that was really rude."

Kira smiled. "Well, similar to Kouji's little issue, my mother also died. But she's definitely dead. In fact, I was with her when she died." Kira paused, letting this sink in. "You see, when I was four, my mom was diagnosed with some disease. I don't remember what it was called, and my dad certainly won't tell me, so don't ask.

"She had to spend an entire year in the hospital and before I knew it, we were celebrating my fifth birthday in the hospital, right by my mother's bedside." Kira paused again, smiling to herself. "You should have seen how happy my mom looked when I brought my entire kindergarten class into her hospital room just to celebrate my birthday. I'll remember that birthday for the rest of my life."

She sighed. "But all good things end, I guess. Yeah sure, I was having a ball that day. All of my friends had left and Dad was going to get Mom a Twix. She loved Twix, but the nurses were all assholish and they wouldn't get her any and, well, basically put, I was the only one in there with Mom.

"I was just sitting in a chair, admiring my presents when this monitor by Mom started beeping and blinking and everything. I looked at Mom and saw that she was in some pretty intense pain, so I went over to press the little emergency button thingy. But Mom grabbed my arm to stop me. I looked up at her and, despite all the pain she was in, she had this look of peace on her face. Up to that point, I had been freaking out. But when I saw that look on my Mom's face, I started to feel calmer. What can I say? She was my Mom.

"Then she took hold of my hand and said 'I'm so proud of you. You are a bright, independent young girl. Never let anyone tell you anything different.' And then she laid her head back and…died." She whispered the last word, almost talking to herself at this point. Takuya looked at her, pity crossing his face.

_She wouldn't want me to pity her,_ he thought, shaking his head. Kira held up her head again to continue. "To answer your question, my mom's death destroyed my dad. She had been the love of his life and after she was gone, he felt empty. He refused to go to work, so he was fired. He was too busy wallowing in sadness to even take care of me.

"So his sister, my aunt, took custody of me until he could get his act together. I stayed with her for two years. Then one day my dad showed up at the house and said he had gotten an apartment and a job. What he hadn't mentioned was that the apartment was a dump and his job was at a convenience store for minimum wage.

"We could barely afford anything, so I suggested to my aunt that she let me work at her store for money. She said I was too young for a job, but I felt bad just taking her money, so I started work. I still work there, and I get paid a hell of a lot more than Dad does, not to mention he's turned into a raving drunk, which doesn't help our situation."

Takuya looked at Kira, trying not to give away how bad he felt for her. Kira frowned, slightly put out. He wasn't going to try to hug her? _Damn, so close._

"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Takuya, noticing her disappointment.

"It's nothing," she mumbled.

Takuya frowned. _It's not nothing._ Then he got up, walked over to Kira and sat down. Before she could react he put his arm securely around her shoulder, squeezing her arm. "I never told me how you felt about your mom's death," he whispered close to her ear. She shivered, not expecting this at all.

She looked at her hands, not knowing what to say. She pictured her mother's sweet, smiling face, how her hair had always been so messy in the morning, how her eyes had sparkled whenever she laughed, how pale her skin had been when she died…

Suddenly tears were running down her cheeks, dripping onto her lap. "Oh…" she exclaimed, surprised. She had told this story to tons of other people before, but she had never cried about it before. She never cried. But now, picturing her mother and all she missed about her, she felt an overwhelming urge to ball her eyes out.

Without thinking, she laid her head on Takuya's chest and began to sob, clutching his shoulder for support. Takuya wrapped his other arm around her, holding her tighter. He stroked her hair lightly, laying his head on hers.

Suddenly Takuya realized something. It had been eating at the back of his mind ever since the dance, but he just hadn't thought it was possible. Now, clutching Kira firmly in his arms, comforting her, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was true.

He was in love with Kira.

—

_madjack89:_ Okay, I'll end it there. Crazy stuff, huh? Crazy stuff…oh, by the way, I have neglected to give you guys profiles on the other four legendary warrior kids (not to mention Tomoyo). So I'll make this a super chapter and give them to you right now!

Daiki (Dai) Kazuki: Legendary Warrior Spirit- Grumblemon  
Age- 12  
Hair- short, spiky, sandy brown  
Eyes- light green  
Birthday- July 9  
Blood type- A

Hotaru Kazuki: Legendary Warrior Spirit- Mercurymon  
Age- 13  
Hair- longish, straight, blond  
Eyes- light green  
Birthday- January 15  
Blood type- AB

Kira Ishiko: Legendary Warrior Spirit- Ranamon  
Age- 12  
Hair- straight, shoulder-length, black with red streaks  
Eyes- dark green eyes (I have a thing for green eyes :))  
Birthday- March 10  
Blood type- AB

Shino Kosuke: Legendary Warrior Spirit- Arbormon  
Age- 12  
Hair- longish, dark brown  
Eyes- light brown  
Birthday- April 3  
Blood type- O

Tomoyo (I'll give her a last name someday…): Age- 13  
Hair- shoulder-length, curly dark brown  
Eyes- light blue  
Birthday- May 24  
Blood type- A

_madjack89:_ Well, there you have it! I'm sure you can guess what the next chapter will involve…any final thoughts, guys?

_Takuya:_ Never trust an author.

_Kouji:_ The grass is always greener on the other side.

_JP:_ Don't count your chickens before they've hatched.

_Kouichi:_ Um, check out _Matsuda Coast to Coast_ by TeamDattebayo on to see one of madjack89's comment used in a comment special. And watch Death Note Abridged by TeamDattebayo.

_madjack89:_ That was an advertisement, Kouichi.

_Kouichi:_ Sorry.

_madjack89:_ Alright, see you in chapter eleven (I can't believe it's already that long)!


	12. Ch 11: The Loved and the Loveless

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 11: The Loved and the Loveless**

_madjack89:_ Hey there, everyone! I've got some news for you! We're gonna have a contest!

_Kouji:_ …

_madjack89:_ Ahem!

_Kouji:_ Oh, uh, yippee.

_madjack89:_ Yes indeed, but this isn't just any contest. It's a contest to decide which character will answer your reviews in the next chapter! (I enjoyed doing them so much that I decided to do a few more) Okay, so, let's make the contest between…um…oh, I know! Kouichi and Daiki!

_Kouichi:_ Wow, I didn't see THAT coming.

_Daiki:_ Yay, I might get to answer reviews! Vote for me, everybody!

_Takuya:_ I don't know, Dai, Kouichi has a pretty big fan base. How are you gonna get more votes than him?

_Daiki:_ I'll promise to love whoever votes for me forever and ever!

_Takuya:_ Uh…yeah. Great.

_Kouichi:_ I guess, if you really want to, you can vote for me. But, I'm sorry, I am NOT promising you fan service if you vote for me, just to let you know.

_madjack89:_ Okay, you guys can handle the rest! Just put in your review who you want to answer comments, and they'll answer them in the next chapter! And speaking of reviews, boring old me is answering your's today. (heh heh)

_*break*_

_Megmo8214:_ Yes, they definitely are! Is your name the same on youtube as on here? I should try looking you up! And thanks! Oh, and, by the way, if you're into Death Note, I've been working on a story for it on the side. Once I upload it, you should check it out! (and once I finish it)

_greywindfalcon:_ It is about time Takuya and Kira got together, isn't it? Well, their relationship is pretty much taken care of, but that still leaves Kouichi and Zoe…they may take a bit longer, but eventually it'll happen! And no, Gatomon had nothing to do with this. Truthfully, she really doesn't care about their relationship anymore. She has other things on her mind. Thanks for reviewing!

_babytigera:_ Hi! Its okay if you started reading late, I'm just glad there are people that like this story! I also like your author name, it's pretty cool sounding (cooler than madjack89, at least :) )! I'm working on getting those other evolutions in, but right now I'm just trying to get in some character development. Thank you for your review!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Alright all you readers out there, just don't forget to vote! Time for the next chapter to commence!

—

"Oh look, ice cream!" exclaimed Zoe, pointing at an ice cream stand sitting in the park.

The guys stared at her like she was crazy. "Uh, Zoe, you do realize how cold it is, don't you?" asked Kouji, worried that Zoe had gotten so numb that she couldn't feel the cold anymore.

Zoe smiled. "Yeah, but I've always thought that ice cream tasted better in cold weather. I'm just quirky like that!" she said. "So, would anyone else like to get some with me?"

"Zoe, let me just throw this idea out there. What if the owner of that ice cream stand decided to close it up for the winter?" Kouji said, speaking slowly.

Zoe glared at Kouji. Suddenly a man poked up from behind the stand. He smiled and waved when he noticed the four children standing in front of his stand. "Hey, would you kids like some ice cream?" he asked cheerfully. "I'll make them half price."

"I would!" squealed Zoe, bouncing up to the stand.

The man looked at the others. "And what would the three gentlemen like?" he asked politely, handing Zoe her ice cream.

"Um, I don't really have any money…" said Kouichi.

"I guess I'll get something. I could lend you some money, Kouichi," said Shino, offering Kouichi some yen.

Kouichi tensed with annoyance. _You don't need to help me, you know!_ Kouichi swallowed. "Sure, thanks," he said through gritted teeth.

"No problem!" replied Shino, oblivious to Kouichi's annoyance.

"Are you freaking kidding me? Do you all want to get hypothermia?" yelled Kouji exasperatedly.

The ice cream vendor grinned at Kouji. "There's never a wrong time for ice cream, young man! After all, it's the treat of romance."

Everyone stared at him. "The treat of romance?" asked Zoe. "I've never heard that before."

"Oh, it is 100 percent true! I've seen thousands of couples begin just from sharing a single ice cream cone," he said assuredly. "They'll come up, asking for two ice cream cones, completely innocent. Then one of them will drop their ice cream. They'll bemoan their fate, saying they have no money left. The other will propose they share the other ice cream. They each pick a side to eat from, but eventually, they always end up bumping heads. They'll look into each others eyes, and before they know it, their a couple!"

Zoe sighed. "Sir, thank you for the ice cream, but just let me say that is the most ridiculous story I've ever heard."

"I feel like I'm losing more and more brain cells as I stand here listening to you," said Kouji, not bothering to be polite. "Come on, let's go. Hurry up with the ice cream, Kouichi."

Kouji, Shino, and Zoe waited a little down the path as Kouichi waited for his ice cream. He leaned against the stand, staring absently at a tree.

"You know, young man, that story was for you." Kouichi jumped, turning to see the vendor smiling at him.

"What?" Kouichi asked, confused.

"Don't think I don't see what's going on. I've been around a while now, and I've seen more than my share of love struck young men," he said, winking.

Kouichi blushed, putting his collar up in embarrassment. The vendor chuckled, placing Kouichi's ice cream on the stand. "I tell that story to people like you all the time. It isn't actually true, but sometimes it just seems to set the right mood.

"Listen," he continued, staring Kouichi straight in the eye. "Don't give up on her just yet. She's quite a charmer, and it would be very unfortunate to lose her."

Kouichi glanced quickly at Zoe, then he turned to thank the vendor. But the vendor was gone. Kouichi blinked, turning around to see where he went. But the vendor was nowhere in sight.

"Come on, Kouichi!" called Zoe. "Get your ice cream and let's go!"

Kouichi looked sheepishly at the others. "Sorry, guys. I'm coming," he said, grabbing his ice cream. As he walked away, he turned to look at the stand one last time.

_That was…creepy,_ he thought. _But he was right, whoever he was. Tonight, I'll tell Zoe the truth._

—

Takuya's eyes widened as this shocking revelation came over him. _I'm in love with Kira! But…I don't…it…how could this happen! I've never even thought of her that way! Except maybe at that dance… _Takuya shook his head gently so he wouldn't disturb Kira.

_No, no, no! That was all Gatomon's fault. She's the one that made me like her… _Something suddenly occurred to Takuya._ What if she just rose my confidence! So that I'd have the courage to tell her that I loved her. _

"Uh, not that crying my eyes out isn't fun, but could you please let go of me, Taki?" Kira's voice broke through Takuya's thoughts. He realized that he was still holding Kira.

He blinked, quickly lowering his arms so Kira could sit up again. She looked slightly flustered, but quickly composed herself. Her eyes were still red. "Sorry bout that, Taki, but you kind of caught me off guard. I mean, who asks someone how they FEEL about their mother dying besides a shrink?" _Not that I minded the hugging part…_

Takuya's cheeks turned red, flaring with annoyance. "Well, sorry I'm such a moron!" _All this yelling at her isn't helping my chances!_

Kira glared at him, anger mounting. "When in the hell did I call you a moron?" _He's so cute when he gets all defensive!_

"It was implied!" _I'm digging my own grave…_

"You are such a baby!" _But I love you all the same!_

"Who's the one that was balling their eyes out a moment ago?" _What am I saying? I have to tell her I love her!_

"That was different and you know it!" _I have to somehow stop this fighting! I…I need to tell him I love him. Zoe was right._

"You always have some kind of excuse!" _I love you!_

"Even when it's true?" _I love you!_

"Well, you know what? I love you!" Takuya blurted out, breathing hard.

"Well, I love you too!" Kira yelled back.

"You want to hug?" Takuya yelled breathlessly, holding up his arms.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Kira exclaimed, lunging at Takuya and rapping her arms securely around his waist.

After a moment of this, they looked at each other happily. "You know, that was a very unconventional way to get together," chuckled Takuya.

Kira smirked. "Get used to it, Taki. I'm a very unconventional girl."

Takuya was about to respond, when he turned his head and sneezed.

Kira laughed. "Looks like someone's talking about you, Taki! Hope it's not a girl, because then I'd have to kill her!"

—

JP and Tomoyo sat in a booth outside a closed restaurant, talking to each other. Tomoyo had suggested that, in order to get to know each other better, they tell the other more about themselves. Tomoyo had asked JP how he met his friends, so he was busy making up stories about them.

"Yes, well, I was just sitting in the subway train when some random kid just walked up to me and asked me how my day was going. I said fine, but then he just started this whole conversation with me. And that's how I first met Taki," said JP, coming up with something on the spot. _Well, it kind of happened that way. Sorta._

"Hmmm…" Tomoyo looked at him with interest. "I'm really curious to know how you became friends with Kouji, not to mention Kouichi. I mean, neither of them knew they had a twin until about a year ago, right?"

JP smiled. "Now, therein lies a story." _Which I will have to tell the others about later in case Tomoyo brings it up again. _JP shrugged. _Well, at least this date is turning out better than I thought it would._

—

"Oh!" Zoe exclaimed as a snowflake fell on her nose. All four of them looked up to see that it had begun to snow. "Wow," said Zoe in awe. "It's the first snow of the season."

Shino blinked as a snowflake fell in his eye. "I've never been much for snow," he said, rubbing the water out of his eye.

Kouichi smiled. "I've always liked snow. In fact, when I was younger, I tried collecting snowflakes with different sorts of patterns on them. But when I tried to take them inside and put them in the freezer, they melted on my mitten."

"Oh, that's so cute!" said Zoe, laughing. Kouichi blushed bright red, staring down at his shoes with a huge smile on his face. Shino chuckled too, but Kouichi paid no attention to him.

Zoe turned to Kouji. "So Kouji, do you like snow?"

Kouji jumped and stared at her as if he hadn't been paying any attention to the conversation going on around him. He looked up for a second then said, "Yeah, I guess I do."

Zoe smiled warmly. "You sure are a surprising person, Kouji. I thought that you wouldn't like snow."

Kouji smiled back. "Well, I guess I'm just a complex individual."

Shino looked at Kouji, confused. "You really do have a good guy side, don't you?"

Kouji sighed. "I suppose so."

While Zoe and Shino continued the conversation, Kouichi watched Kouji worriedly. He'd seen something flash across Kouji's eyes before he had answered Zoe. It had looked like regret. _What does he have to regret?_ Kouichi pondered.

Kouji suddenly looked up, giving Kouichi a "what do you want?" look. Kouichi quickly looked away, deciding he'd figure it out later. Right now he had something he needed to do.

_Alright, I can do this. I just need to get her alone with me, and then I'll tell her._ Kouichi walked up to Zoe.

"Hey, um, Zoe, can I, uh, well," he stuttered, fiddling with his jacket's zipper.

Zoe stared at him, slightly worried. "Yes?" she asked. _He looks kind of red. Is he getting sick or something?_

_Oh, I can't do this!_ "Well, I was wondering if I could tell-"

"Well, look who it is, girls!" A girl's voice interrupted Kouichi's sentence. All four of them turned around to see three girls sneering at Zoe. Zoe glared back at them and strangely, so did Shino.

_How does he know these girls?_ Kouichi wondered to himself.

"It's the Italian slut herself!" said the girl who had recognized Zoe. The other two girls snickered. Kouji and Kouichi's eyes widened in shock as they realized that these girls were talking about Zoe!

Zoe smiled evilly. "You're all just jealous that Kouji and Kouichi have better taste than to hang out with posers such as yourselves!" She turned to the twins. "Can you believe they actually think they deserve great guys like you?"

The three girls glared at Zoe angrily. "You little whore! I'll beat your prissy little face black and blue!"

The leader of the group swung back, aiming a punch right at Zoe. Kouichi's expression darkened. "Oh no, you don't!"

He jumped into action, meaning to grab the girls arm. But her fist had already made contact with someone. Shino fell to his knees, hugging his stomach in pain.

Shino had jumped far enough in front of Zoe to prevent the girl from slugging him in the face, for she had meant to hit Zoe under the chin and go on from there.

"Shino!" cried Zoe, rushing up to him. Kouichi stood motionless as she crouched beside Shino, seeing if he was hurt. _I lost._

The girl looked more furious than ever, glaring at Shino angrily. "How dare you get in my way!"

"And how dare you try to start a fight for a petty reason like jealousy," said Kouji, staring at the three girls hardly.

The girls looked at Kouji in anguish, tears forming in their eyes. They ran away quickly, crying as they went. Kouji smiled. "That was a little too easy."

"Can you stand, Shino?" asked Zoe, trying to help him up.

"Zoe, it's okay. I'm fine," said Shino reassuringly. "Plus, I couldn't just let them hurt you, could I?" he whispered in her ear.

Zoe grinned. "Thank you so much!" she said, hugging Shino happily. Shino looked surprised then hugged her back.

Kouji looked up at the sky. "Hm, it stopped snowing," he pondered.

Kouichi hid his eyes from view, a weak smile playing on his lips. _I've completely lost._ He chuckled darkly, letting this set in. "I think I'm gonna go home now," he said, turning around. As he turned, he slipped clumsily on the light dusting of snow on the path, landing with a thud on his side.

"Kouichi!" exclaimed Kouji, making a move to help him up.

"Are you alright?" asked Zoe, worried.

Her voice cut through Kouichi like a knife. "I'm fine!" he yelled, getting up quickly and running down the path toward his home.

The other three stared after him. "Why…?" began Kouji, confused by Kouichi's behavior. Then he put together what he had just witnessed. _He's in love…with Zoe!_

—

Kouichi wrenched his door open, slamming it with more force than necessary. He knew that he could just as well have been alone in the living room, because his mother was at a Christmas Eve party. But he wanted to make sure that he wasn't disturbed.

He locked the door, the click of the lock reverberating in his ears. He slowly sank to the floor, reaching up for something sitting on his dresser. He grabbed it, examining it in the darkness. He didn't bother turning on the light. After all, didn't he belong in darkness? At least, that's what Cherubimon had said. Kouichi was beginning to think he wasn't lying.

The object in his hands was something Zoe had given him when he was in the hospital. From back when he had first fallen in love with her. He smiled briefly, clutching the earplugs in his palm.

_That old guy beside you is always complaining, so I thought you might need a pair of earplugs. _Zoe's words that day rang in his head. Kouichi looked at the gift dully. "I really thought I had a chance." He let the memory wash over him one more time. Then came the pain.

"But I'm just a hopeless nothing!" He dropped the earplugs, finally letting the tears flow freely. He clutched his knees to his chest, resting his head on his legs' support. "Why?" he muttered, sobs racking his body.

—

Wizardmon watched Kouichi gleefully from his window, chuckling. "It's just too perfect!"

"What's too perfect?" asked Gatomon suspiciously, jumping up beside him. "I was trying to enjoy my day off when you called me."

"See for yourself!" said Wizardmon, gesturing toward the window. Gatomon peered in, gasping when she saw Kouichi's state.

She turned to Wizardmon. "What did you do?" Gatomon hissed, claws bared.

Wizardmon smiled. "I didn't do anything. He's just reached his limit, that's all. And isn't it lucky that I'm almost done my 'present' for him!"

"I don't care if you're my brother, Wizardmon. If you do THAT to him, I'll…"

"You'll what, little sister?" asked Wizardmon playfully, popping up behind her. Gatomon hissed angrily. Wizardmon chuckled. "It's so cute how you've fallen in love with him! Perhaps I should call our boss and tell her about it?"

Gatomon's expression changed from anger to fear. "No!" she cried. "I'm sorry."

Wizardmon laughed. "You may love him, but you don't know the first thing about love! You would rather safe your own skin and doom his than save him and nobly sacrifice yourself. You're pathetic!

"But it doesn't matter," he continued, preparing to leave. "It only means that you won't get in my way." With that, he vanished.

Gatomon stared at Kouichi, concern evident in her eyes. "I'm just a loser!" She pricked her ears, hearing Kouichi's statement through his tears.

She turned sadly, knowing she wasn't allowed to comfort him. It was against orders, and she always followed orders. She had seen what happened to those who disobeyed orders.

"You're not a loser, Kouichi," she muttered, disappearing from Kouichi's windowsill as well.

—

_madjack89:_ Well, both good and bad things happened in this chapter. And I also noticed while writing this that I relate best to Kouichi, but that's not a big surprise since I get him as a result to Digimon Frontier boyfriend quizzes every time I take them!

_Kouichi:_ You do?

_madjack89:_ Yup! They also say that Takuya, Zoe, and JP are friends with me, Kouji is indifferent towards me, and Tommy is just kind of there.

_Kouichi:_ …Well huh.

_Kira:_ Aside from that, praised be the day! Takuya and I are finally a couple!

_Zoe:_ Yay! Woohoo!

_Kouji:_ Oh my god, you're doing it in the next two chapters, aren't you?

_madjack89:_ Yes Kouji, I am. Don't worry, you'll be fine. Trust me, why don't you?

_JP:_ So, the next chapter's about…?

_Shino:_ The next chapter's about Gatomon's relationship with our group, I think.

_Kouji:_ And then it's happening, isn't it?

_madjack89:_ Yeah. Okay, don't forget to vote, leave a review for the winner to answer, and see you in the next exciting chapter!

_Daiki:_ Vote for me!

(Yes, for once, Takuya wasn't in the end commentary. Believe it!)


	13. Ch 12: A Monster

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 12: A Monster**

_madjack89:_ Holy flippin' crap! I have five reviews for chapter eleven in only one day! Sweetness! More people must be reading this now! Thank you for your reviewing! And the winner of that contest is…it's a tie!

_Takuya: _What?

_Daiki:_ Then, who gets to answer reviews?

_madjack89:_ How about this…each of you can answer three reviews, and I'll pick which ones you answer!

_Daiki:_ Okie dokie!

_Kouichi:_ I guess…

_Kouji:_ Stop making Kouichi so depressed, damn it!

_madjack89:_ I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

_Kouichi:_ Kouji, stop yelling at her.

_Kouji:_ Hmph…something good better happen in this chapter.

_Daiki:_ Can we start answering reviews now?

_madjack89:_ Excellent idea. You can start by answering greywindfalcon's, Megmo8214's, and –Crystalwing's Legacy's reviews.

_Daiki:_ Okay!

_*break*_

_greywindfalcon:_ Hello, there! I'm Daiki, but I like people to call me Dai because Daiki is too long to say every time someone tries to talk to me and- (Dai! Get on with it!) Oh right, the review. Let's see…a love triangle? What progress did they make while I was gone? Alright, now I'm excited for this chapter! And Takuya and Kira in a closet…? What, were they at a party or something? I thought we were too young for beer… (Daiki!) Alright, alright…well, thank you for your review and I hope that all of your questions are soon answered!

_Megmo8214:_ Hey there! Thanks for complimenting the great chapterness! I just made up a word! Yay! (…) Okay, so Takuya and Kira confessed their love? Well hooray! I always thought that they should have been together. I have instincts about those things. Oh, madjack! (Yes?) Go on this person's profile to find their youtube account. (Alrighty! Thank you!) I guess that's it! Thank you!

_-Crystalwing's Legacy: _Hi! I'm Daiki, spelled D-a-i-k-i. I like ice cream too! (Their referring to the last chapter!) Oh…well I still like ice cream! GatoxKouichi=bleah, if you ask me! I can't remember how people write KouichixZoe…is it Kouzumi or Kouizumi? But Kouzumi could also be KoujixZoe…aghhh, my brain hurts! But to answer your question, yes, you can use the name Kira. Thanks for reviewing! (And you keep writing, too!)

_*break*_

_Daiki:_ Wow, answering reviews is harder than I thought!

_madjack89:_ You did a good job Dai, despite getting distracted constantly.

_Daiki:_ Thanks!

_madjack89:_ Alright, Kouichi, your turn.

_Kouichi:_ …

_madjack89:_ Kouichi!

_Kouichi:_ What?

_madjack89:_ It's your turn to answer reviews.

_Kouichi:_ Oh…okay.

_madjack89:_ Kouichi, you're dragging my mood down.

_Kouichi:_ Sorry…

_madjack89:_ No, it's fine. Alright, here are the other reviews!

_*break*_

_GoldenDragon326: _Hi…um, you voted for Daiki, but I guess you get me instead. Sorry if that's a problem…but…'it' will be uncovered soon, so I guess you'll find out soon enough what it is. If you ask me, it's just something that Kouji would flip out about, but it really isn't that bad…so thank you for your review.

_babytigera: _Um…thanks for loving the chapter. I don't really love it, but whatever. And…uh, thanks for wanting to hug me, I guess. By any chance, are you a fangirl? I don't really care if you are or anything, but fangirls usually want to hug me…a lot. Alright, uh…I guess that's all. Thank you for your kind words.

_Katami-chan:_ Hi. The description isn't very descriptive, but madjack89 isn't very good at descriptions…(I'm working on it!). Yeah…uh…koukou…well, let's just not think about that. And uh…wait, poor Shino? For what? He's the one who…*_sigh*_…oh well, it's not important, anyway. So, more brotherly love, huh? We can do that. (Actually, I was thinking that myself!) Thanks for voting for me and…uh…giving me "a little love." It's much appreciated, despite being a fangirl. I don't really care if you're a fangirl, and you don't seem that annoying…okay, I guess I'm done. Thank you very much.

_*break*_

_madjack89: _Okay, that took way longer than I thought it would! Time to start this chapter!

—

Gatomon paced outside the school gate, shifting her eyes around anxiously. Her tail twitched in annoyance. "Why do human children have to go to this place for so long?" she muttered, staring at the school building.

She knew she wanted to. All she had to do was kidnap Kouichi, take him to the Digital World, find a safe place for him…but she knew that would never work. Wizardmon would know what she was up to. He had made that clear three nights ago, outside Kouichi's window, on Christmas Eve.

Gatomon cringed, still able to picture Kouichi's tortured face all too well in her mind. She stomped her foot, a determined expression crossing her face. "I couldn't comfort him then, so I'll protect him now!"

Suddenly, she heard a bell go off inside the building. "Finally!" she exclaimed, climbing up the nearest tree. _I'll have to tell him what's about to happen._

—

"Finally!" Takuya exclaimed, stretching his arms out over his desk. "Today dragged on forever! You'd think that all the teachers had a sucky Christmas with all the work they gave us!"

"Well, my Christmas was nice! I got this new yo-yo!" said Daiki, demonstrating it for Takuya.

Takuya smiled. "Dai, you really are simple, aren't you?"

"Yup!" he said, rising from his seat. Takuya rose as well, stretching his legs and grinning broadly.

"Well, aren't you happy," Daiki said, knowing full well why he was especially jovial.

"Of course I'm happy," he replied, strutting toward the door of the classroom. "You don't get a new girlfriend everyday, you know!"

Daiki chuckled, joining Takuya by the door. Before he left, however, he realized something. "Hey, where did Kouji and Kouichi go?"

Takuya shrugged. "I guess they left while we were talking. We'll probably meet up with them by the lockers."

—

Kouichi leaned on the locker beside Kouji's, patiently waiting for him to gather his stuff up. Kouji stared at Kouichi as Kouichi stared at the floor absentmindedly. Kouji was worried about what had happened the other night. He hadn't even expected Kouichi to show up today, but he had come, and he seemed like he was fine. Too fine.

_He's trying to put on an act, _Kouji concluded, slamming his locker door shut. Kouichi jumped, startled by the noise the locker door had made. Kouji glared at Kouichi and said, "So?"

Kouichi cocked his head, confused by his younger brother's angry expression. "Um…what?" he asked.

Kouji sighed, tying his bandana on his head. "You're not going to make this easy are you?" he said, glancing around to make sure that no one was near.

Kouji looked at Kouichi, grabbing his shoulders firmly. "You know that I care about you more than anything, right?" he asked, staring at Kouichi with concern burning in his eyes.

Kouichi grew slightly wary, not knowing where this was going. _I wonder if…_ "Of course I know that," he said, staring back at Kouji.

"And you know that I would do anything for you?" he continued, gripping Kouichi tighter.

"Yes. I would, too," Kouichi said, getting more anxious by the second. _…he knows that…_

Kouji closed his eyes, knowing that he was about to hurt his brother. _I always end up hurting him,_ he thought, remembering what had caused Kouichi's transformation into Duskmon. _But…this has to be done._

"Kouichi, I-I know that you're in love with Zoe," he murmured almost inaudibly. He cringed as Kouichi's eyes widened in panic, fear, and pain. _…I'm in love with Zoe._

—

Zoe stood by the school's gate, anxiously waiting to see Kouichi walk toward her, smiling and waving like he always did. _Kouichi…I'm worried. After you left, I tried to call you, but you never picked up. Kouichi…what's wrong? I want to see you…I need to see you!_

Kira stood next to Zoe, placing her arm around Zoe's shoulder. "Gee, when you got us out of that closet and we told you we were an official couple, I sure was surprised that you didn't flip out and go nuts over us." She smiled, squeezing Zoe's arm softly. "I'm sure it's not your fault that he was upset. This is probably just a misunderstanding."

"I think it's actually my fault." Zoe and Kira looked up to see Shino standing before them, smiling sadly. "Nice outfits," he added, gesturing to their school uniforms. "The gloves add an interesting touch, Kira."

"Shino…" _How can you think this is your fault?_ Zoe stared at Shino, perplexed by his reasoning.

Shino understood immediately, answering, "Did you see him when he glanced back at me? He looked like…like he wished I was dead."

Gatomon's eyes widened as she heard what Shino said. She had listened to their conversation intently up to that point, but she stopped as soon as Shino said that Kouichi had wished him dead.

_Dead?_ Gatomon's claws dug into the bark of the tree. She froze for a moment, scared out of her wits. Then she shook her head roughly, bringing her back to reality. _He's already begun! I have less time than I thought. At this rate, he'll make his move in the next week or so! He just needs more time to prepare that ghastly attack of his! _

Gatomon stared at the school, looking determined. _I'll protect you, Kouichi dear. I promise! _

Then she bounded down the tree and raced around the corner, heading toward Wizardmon's hideout.

Shino, Zoe, and Kira stared after her, wide-eyed. "Um, was that Gatomon or the Flash?" asked Kira.

—

"What…?" Kouichi backed away slightly, panic spreading through him. _Why? Why now?_

Kouji dug his hands even further into Kouichi's shoulders, holding him where he stood. _I'm sorry,_ he thought. "Kouichi, I know how hurt you feel. And that's why I'm going to do this. Please don't be angry, because I'm doing this for you. Because I care about you. So much."

Kouji's voice faltered when he saw Kouichi's face. _He hates me…_ Kouichi was glaring at Kouji, anger burning in his eyes. Kouji's worst fear seemed to be coming true, and it was by his own hand.

Kouichi saw the look of pain on Kouji's face and turned his head, glaring instead at the floor. _Why? Why am I so angry at him? He's just trying to help. _"You're going to tell Zoe I love her, aren't you?"

Kouji nodded his head stiffly. "Yes."

Before he realized what he was doing, Kouichi wrenched his arms from his brother's grip. In the same moment, he grabbed Kouji's shirt collar, slamming him hard against the lockers. Kouji sank to his knees, grabbing his side in pain. He looked up slowly to see Kouichi standing over him, taking a baseball bat from an open locker nearby.

Kouji's eyes widened. "Kouichi…?" Before he could utter another word, Kouichi raised the bat and brought it down on Kouji's head.

Kouji's gaze became blurry and the room began to spin. He felt himself land with a thud onto the floor. _What?_

Kouichi's eyes seemed to brighten as he realized what he had just done. "Kouji!" he cried, dropping the bat and rushing to Kouji's side. "Kouji? Kouji! Can you hear me? Kouji!"

Kouji blacked in and out of consciousness, each time seeing his brother's scared face staring down at him, pleading with him.

He tried to say something, but he couldn't seem to form the words. _That wasn't you,_ he thought, fading for the last time._ Kouichi…_

"No…" Kouichi muttered, staring at Kouji's unconscious form. "I…I…" Kouichi's thoughts swirled in his head, accusing him. _You hurt your own brother! He was trying to help, and you hit him in the head with a bat! You're a monster! You are a dirty, filthy monster!_

"NOOOOOOOOO!" he cried, clutching his head in pain. Tears formed in his eyes, but they didn't begin to run down his cheeks. They merely stayed beading in his eyes, weighing him down further with what he had done.

"Kouichi!" Takuya ran around the corner of the locker, followed by Daiki, JP, and Hotaru. They took in the scene before them. "Kouji!"

They quickly rushed to Kouji's side, seeing that he had been knocked unconscious. Kouichi didn't look well either, as he was clutching his head in apparent agony.

"Kouichi? What's wrong? What happened?" asked Takuya, concern in his gaze.

"Are you hurt?" Daiki added, glancing at the tears in Kouichi's eyes.

Kouichi realized that they were talking to him. He opened his eyes, staring at his friends with fear.

"Chief?" said JP warily, using his unofficial nickname. Hotaru said nothing, staring at the baseball bat lying on the floor.

Kouichi jumped up quickly, backing away from his four friends.

Takuya and JP began to move closer to where Kouichi stood, worried by Kouichi's behavior.

Kouichi's eyes widened in terror. "Stay back!" he yelled, trembling. Takuya and JP stopped abruptly, scared by Kouichi's sudden shout.

"Kouichi…" Takuya began, reaching out his hand.

"No!" Takuya stopped, lowering his arm.

Kouichi stared at his friends, scared for them. "Don't get n-near me. I-I'm a m-monster."

JP snorted. "What are you talking about? It's not like you're the one responsible for whatever happened to Kouji or anything, right?"

Takuya stared at Kouichi, fear creeping into his gaze as he realized the truth. "You…you did that to Kouji."

Kouichi turned, sprinting down the hallway. He heard his friends yelling after him, but he paid them no attention. _I have to go away. Go far away, where I won't be able to hurt anyone else! Somewhere for monsters…the Digital World._

Kouichi smiled faintly. _The Dark Area of the Digital World. Perfect for monsters like me._

—

Zoe looked up, seeing Kouichi rushing out the doors of the school. She perked up instantly, waving at him. "Hi, Kouichi!"

"Where's Takuya?" wondered Kira.

Shino stared at Kouichi as he got closer. _Something's wrong…_

Suddenly his eyes widened. "Zoe, look out! He's not stopping!"

Zoe stayed rooted to the spot where she stood, staring at Kouichi's face. Before he crashed into her, he turned and rushed past her down the street. But before that, Zoe's eyes had met his. She had a look of terror in her eyes, remembering Kouichi's expression. It had been a hopeless, fearful, pained expression. But there had been something else there as well, something she thought she would only see in her nightmares.

Kouichi had an evil glint in his eyes that was akin to Duskmon's.

—

Gatomon threw the old factory's doors open. "Wizardmon!" she yelled, challenging him.

When no answer came, she looked around. Suddenly her eyes grew wider.

"He's moved his hideout!"

—

Kouichi ran, letting his feet carry him to the only portal he knew of to the Digital World. The Trailmon station.

As he rounded a corner, he hit something hard, falling to his feet. He looked up, recognizing the Digimon standing over him.

He smiled. "A Wizardmon. The Wizardmon from before."

Wizardmon chuckled. "I can't let a monster like you slip from my grasp, can I?"

With that, Wizardmon pressed a pressure point on Kouichi's neck and everything went black.

—

_madjack89:_ Well, there it is! Hope it was good!

_Kouji:_ No!

_madjack89:_ Oh, you know everything will turn out right in the end.

_Takuya:_ Will it?

_madjack89:_ …Well, look at the time! I've got a drum lesson to get to! I'll just have to rap it up here! Alright, R&R and see you in the next chapter!


	14. Ch 13: The Voice

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 13: The Voice**

_madjack89:_ Konichiwa! Madjack here to bring you the thirteenth chapter of Frontier 02! I'm seriously on a roll now. I've finally gotten to the good stuff!

_Kouji:_ On a roll! How can you say that?

_madjack89:_ Sorry Kouji, but it had to be done. And now I also have to write 'it'.

_Kouji:_ I despise you…

_Takuya:_ Aw, don't be that hard on her. She's just trying to write a good story.

_Kouji:_ Just wait until you find out what 'it' is.

_madjack89:_ Okay, review time!

_*break*_

_greywindfalcon: _Yes, I wanted Wizardmon to be that kind of character, but his employer…well, you'll find out soon enough! And speaking of cake, my brother's birthday was yesterday, so I got ice cream cake! Happy birthday! Never fear, it will all turn out well. I hate sad endings. See ya!

_Expired In Goreville:_ Thanks! I'm glad you like it! And I'm trying to get at least three chapters done this week because I'm going on vacation and won't be able to update next week. Thanks again!

_GoldenDragon326: _Yeah, well…I kind of liked that Wizardmon too, but I needed someone to be the bad guy, right? And I believe that topsy-turvy is definitely a real word. Oh, and Kouichi says thanks! And so do I! Thanks!

_JewelledTears:_ Yes, I meant Shibuya. I wanted to give it a specialer name than Shibuya (though specialer isn't a word)! Oh, and, for the record, um…OH, GOD NO! NO INCEST! ! (_Kouji and Kouichi:_ Ew…) Alright, I am calm now! But no, I don't EVER plan to write ANYTHING having to do with incest (no offense to anyone who likes that)! Kouji was just conveying a point, nothing more than BROTHERLY love. Thank you for reviewing.

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Alrighty, time to start the chapter! Let's get to it! And 'it'!

_Kouji:_ Damn…

—

~_One week later…_

"Kouichi!" Kouji yelled, looking around an alley. "Kouichi, please! Come back! Come back…"

Takuya walked up behind Kouji, putting his hand on Kouji's shoulder. "Kouji, it's getting late. We should go home…"

"No! I have to find him now!" Kouji snapped, shrugging Takuya's hand off his shoulder. Then he turned around, continuing down the street.

Takuya followed him, concerned. _He's been like this ever since…_An image of Kouichi's expression that day flashed through Takuya's mind. He flinched involuntarily.

"There's always something that happens to us…" muttered Takuya, matching his pace with Kouji's.

Kouji smirked, hearing what Takuya had said. "And most of it happens to Kouichi." Kouji stopped, staring at the pavement ahead of him. He could feel another headache coming on.

Takuya stopped as well. "Maybe that's the fate of the warrior of darkness. To always be surrounded by confusion…pain…and darkness itself."

Kouji flicked his gaze up to Takuya, staring him down. His fist clenched. "I won't let that be Kouichi's destiny. As the warrior of light, as his brother…I swear it!"

Takuya smiled, holding up his arm. "Now, that's what I wanted to hear! Come on; let's go screw up our destinies!"

Kouji smiled back, touching his arm to Takuya's in what had become their version of a high-five.

As they continued walking down the street, a shadowy figure watched them from the alley, eyes glowering at them. _They're much too persistent,_ thought Wizardmon, smirking. _I'll have to fix that!_

Then he reached into his coat, pulling out his wand. "Kiss my ass, Harry Potter!" he proclaimed, jumping out from the alley.

Takuya and Kouji turned, taking out their D-Tectors.

"It's that Wizardmon!" growled Kouji, hand glowing with data.

"Let's finish this quickly, we have a schedule to keep!" said Takuya, preparing to Spirit Evolve.

Before either of them had the chance, though, Wizardmon's wand began to glow brightly, hitting them both with some sort of energy. They stood paralyzed for a moment, eyes wide. Then Wizardmon's wand ceased glowing, and they both slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Wizardmon cackled softly. "That was almost too easy," he said, strutting past them. "Now, to check on the patient!"

—

Zoe sat on Kira's futon, head resting on her knees. _Kouichi…_ she thought, remembering his expression from before. _Where are you? Are you okay? Is-is this my fault?_

"Alright, two sodas for the two hot young babes!" exclaimed Kira, pushing open her door with two sodas in hand. She handed one to Zoe and sat down, cracking her own soda open.

Zoe sighed. "I don't think I'm that thirsty right now, Kira. Thanks anyway."

Kira took a swig of her soda and put it back down on the floor. Then she stared at Zoe pleadingly. "Zoe, staying at my apartment was supposed to cheer you up!" She paused, watching Zoe shift her feet nervously. Kira sighed. "Zoe, it's not your fault that Kouichi ran away. Things just happened, and we've been looking for him all week. We'll find him."

Zoe looked up at Kira, smiling. "Thank you, Kira. But, it's just that…Kouichi is more than just my friend. He's always been there for me, always listened to my problems without a single complaint. He's my rock, my stronghold. I…I just can't imagine never being able to see that cute little smile of his again!"

A tear rolled down Zoe's cheek, and she quickly brushed it away, embarrassed. But Kira paid no attention to that as she stared at Zoe, wide-eyed. "Zoe, I…I think…I think you're in love with Kouichi!"

—

Kouji blinked, staring at the night sky above him._ What happened? I don't remember…Wizardmon! Oh no, how long have I been out?_

He quickly sat up, shaking his head to clear it. "Huh?" He couldn't feel his hair against the back of his head. He reached his hand up and realized that he was wearing a hat. "What in the…?" Then he realized that he didn't even sound like himself! He quickly clamped his mouth shut with his hands, realizing he had on gloves. _No, no way, no, no, no this can't be happening! But…there's only one way to know for sure._

He raised his hand shakily, reaching up to touch his forehead. And, sure enough, there was a pair of goggles resting on his head. Takuya's goggles.

"Oh my God!" he exclaimed, realizing he sounded like Takuya. "Wizardmon!"

"What's all the yelling about?" Kouji heard his voice ask groggily next to him. He turned to see himself sitting up slowly, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Takuya…?" he asked, slowly realizing what Wizardmon had done.

"Yeah?" Takuya replied, turning to see himself staring at him in panic. Kouji saw his eyes widen in panic. "Oh my God, Wizardmon cloned me!" he exclaimed. "Wait, why do I sound like Kouji? Where is Kouji…oh no, I must have eaten him in my sleep! Noooooooooooooo!"

Takuya jumped up, running around in a panic. Kouji stared at him as he ran around. _Did he hit his head on the pavement and damage what was left of his brain?_ "Takuya! You did not freakin eat me! Wizardmon's attack must have made us switch bodies somehow."

Takuya stopped, staring at himself. Then he slowly reached up to touch his goggles and realized he had a bandana on. "Oh…my…God…"

"I know, this is terrible…"

"This is great!" Takuya exclaimed, much to Kouji's surprise. "I've always wondered what it would be like to be you!"

Kouji's eye twitched angrily. "Takuya, this isn't good! Don't you see? Wizardmon is trying to keep us preoccupied! I'll bet anything that he kidnapped Kouichi and doesn't want us to get in his way…"

"Well then, let's go kick his ass!" exclaimed Takuya, holding up Kouji's D-Tector.

Kouji sighed. "Takuya, I am the warrior of light, and you are the warrior of fire."

Takuya blinked, puzzled. "Yeah, so?"

_My God, I look so clueless! _"So, our D-Tectors will only work for us, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, do you know how to do any of the attacks that I do?"

Takuya paused, realizing the dilemma. "I see your point. But…we could teach each other how to do our attacks, like on Teen Titans!"

_Teen…what?_ "Takuya, that could take awhile, and if Wizardmon has Kouichi, we need all the time we can get!"

"But what will we do once we find him, huh? Give up?"

Kouji sighed, putting Takuya's hands in his pockets. "Good point."

"Okay, let the practicing commence!"

—

Wizardmon silently opened the door to the tree house, closing it without a peep. "How foolish humans are! All I had to do was make this old tree house invisible to the human eye, and I had the perfect hideout! Right, Kouichi?"

Kouichi didn't answer, continuing to stare at the floor. His hands and ankles were bound with rope, just as a precaution. Wizardmon knew that he wasn't about to escape anytime soon. In fact, he had asked Wizardmon to kill him several times already.

_I've succeeded in breaking him, _thought Wizardmon, cackling softly._ And that was only a test run of my master's power! Combined with my own attack, we'll mold him into our little warrior, and then…_

Kouichi glanced up, watching Wizardmon set to work. _I wonder what he's working on. Not that it matters…but at least he's keeping me here. Away from everyone, until I can figure out what's happening to me._

When Wizardmon had first captured him, he had wanted to be killed, thinking that he had somehow wanted to hurt Kouji of his own free will. But as the days had gone by, he'd realized that there had been something else making his body move. Some little voice in the back of his mind…

_Well, at least it hasn't come back since then. If I tried attacking Wizardmon, he'd kill me on accident…or on purpose. I'm not really sure what his motives are._ Wizardmon turned, glancing at Kouichi. Kouichi quickly lowered his gaze, looking as depressed as he possibly could. Wizardmon chuckled, turning back to his work.

Kouichi sighed in relief, grinning triumphantly. _Well, if I can just keep up this act, then he won't try to do anything to me. Hopefully._

—

Lobomon and Agunimon stood by the docks, preparing to go and find Kouichi.

"Okay, I think I got this down!" said Lobomon, swinging his Light Kendo around. "I'm ready to use the force and beat Darth Vader!"

"Say that again and I'll kill you," snapped Agunimon, flames shooting from his gauntlets. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, stopping the flames.

"You might want to keep calm, buddy, or that's gonna happen a lot," smirked Lobomon.

"I always thought you seemed calmer as Agunimon," Agunimon remarked sarcastically. While Lobomon fumed, Agunimon/Kouji began to concentrate. _Alright, where are you, Kouichi?...There!_

"C'mon, Takuya!" he yelled, racing off down the street. "I know where Kouichi is!"

"I always knew you had freaky telekinetic twin powers!" remarked Lobomon, following him.

"It's nothing like that!" he retorted. "It's more like I can sense him. Like, I get this feeling of where he is."

"And you didn't use the force before because…?"

"Because every time I tried, there was something blocking me," Agunimon explained, ignoring Lobomon's Star Wars reference. "Anyway, that's gone now, which means something bad might be about to happen."

"So basically, we have to hurry," said Lobomon, smiling. "Well, nick of time saves are my forte!"

—

Wizardmon stood outside the tree house, holding his walkie-talkie device up to his mouth. "It's ready, milady. We can proceed as soon as possible," he whispered into the device.

"Very well. And what of Gatomon?"

"She is still missing. I don't know what happened after that Leomon dragged her off like that."

The voice sighed. "Alright then. Proceed with the attack in no less than ten minutes!"

"Understood," Wizardmon replied, clicking the walkie-talkie and putting it back in his coat. "You had better be grateful for this later, Gatomon," he muttered, lifting the shield off the tree house.

While Wizardmon had been talking, Kouichi was lounging against the wall of the tree house comfortably, twirling the ropes that had bound his hands and feet around his finger.

"Someone needs to go back to boy scouts," chuckled Kouichi softly. He glanced at the other side of the tree house, staring at Wizardmon's blanket-covered project. "I wonder if I have enough time?" he muttered, listening for Wizardmon's footsteps.

When he heard none, he tip-toed quickly over to the corner of the tree house, carefully removing the blanket from the over the object. He stared at it for a second, confused. "A bottle?"

"Hm, it seems you're more curious than I thought you were." Kouichi froze, hearing Wizardmon creep up behind him, prodding Kouichi's back with his wand.

Kouichi sighed, holding up his hands in defeat. "I guess the jig is up. Fine. I'll go quietly."

"Good!" Wizardmon exclaimed, shoving Kouichi out the door of the tree house. Kouichi's eyes widened as he fell…three feet.

"Damn, this tree is short!" said Kouichi, staring at the tiny tree that housed a tree house bigger than itself.

"Things aren't always as they seem," muttered Wizardmon darkly, holding up his bottle. "For instance, it looks like there is nothing in this bottle. But this bottle contains something that took me two months to finish, just for you."

"I'm flattered," said Kouichi, shaking slightly despite himself.

Wizardmon cackled. "And so begins the destruction of the legendary warriors!"

"Guess again! Super-Duper-Awesome-Special-Laser-Light-Of-Doom!" A blast of light hit the ground in front of Wizardmon, causing him to jump back.

Kouichi chuckled. "About time you guys showed up!"

Agunimon and Lobomon stood over them, Lobomon's gun still smoking. "We got a little sidetracked. And what the hell did you just call that attack, Takuya?"

Lobomon cocked his head sheepishly. "Well, I couldn't really remember what you called it, so…I kinda made something up!"

Kouichi looked at them, confused. "Um, I'm just gonna save the questions for later."

Agunimon rushed over to Kouichi. "Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.

"So, wait a minute, YOU'RE Kouji?" asked Kouichi, still confused.

Suddenly a burst of light shot from Wizardmon's wand, hitting both Lobomon and Agunimon. They stood paralyzed for a moment, and then reverted back to their human forms.

"Kouji! Takuya!" Kouichi looked at them both anxiously.

Kouji slowly brought his hand to his head, not feeling goggles anymore. "Hey, I'm back!"

"Awwww…" moaned Takuya, disappointed.

"It looks as if that couldn't keep you preoccupied long enough." Before they could turn their attention back to Wizardmon, his wand glowed, and they realized that they could no longer move.

"Damn…we're paralyzed!" growled Kouji, gritting his teeth.

"What…can you fly, too?" Takuya said in disbelief.

"Sadly, no." Wizardmon turned to Kouichi, taking out his bottle. "It's all over…for you!"

Then he threw the bottle on the ground, standing stock-still for several moments. Suddenly, his wand began to glow with an ominous purple light. Wizardmon smirked raising his wand over his head. "This is it! Vision of Terror!"

Kouichi closed his eyes, bracing himself for Wizardmon's attack.

"Arghhhhhhhhh!" Kouichi's eyes shot open, realizing that Kouji had mustered up enough strength to put himself between him and Wizardmon's attack.

"Kouji!" Kouichi and Takuya rushed to Kouji's side, watching as he clutched his head in pain.

"It…hurts…arghhhhhh!" Kouji fell to his knees, clenching his fists shakily.

"Kouji…" Kouichi stared at his brother, horror-struck. Takuya clenched his fists, turning to Wizardmon.

"You bastard!" Takuya threw a punch at Wizardmon and, strangely, it landed. "How could you?"

Wizardmon got up slowly, brushing his face with his arm. "This may still work out the way we want it to, milady." Then he vanished in a cloud of dust.

As soon as Wizardmon left, Kouji's head instantly stopped hurting. "What…?"

Kouji rose slowly to his feet, realizing that he felt completely fine. "Kouji?" Kouichi looked at him, concerned.

"I…I feel fine now. Maybe his attack only works at close range?"

"I'm still gonna pummel him for what he did," Takuya muttered angrily.

_Something's wrong…_ thought Kouichi. "Are you sure you're fine, Kouji? He told me he prepared that attack for me for two months."

"Well, it wasn't a very good attack, apparently. Now let's get back to everyone else. We've been worried sick about you, Chief!" Takuya turned, walking away.

"Go ahead, Takuya. We'll catch up in a second," said Kouji, turning to face Kouichi. As Takuya walked out of earshot, Kouji said, "So, are you sure YOU'RE okay?"

Kouichi smiled. "Yes, Kouji. I-I'm sorry about…what happened."

"It wasn't your fault!" said Kouji forcefully, pulling Kouichi into a hug. "It wasn't your fault…"

"No, it wasn't. That's what worries me now. What….what if Wizardmon's attack—"

"Come on, lovebirds, hurry up!" Takuya called from farther ahead.

Kouji quickly stood up straight, glaring at Takuya. "That's it, you've gone too far!" he yelled, running after Takuya.

Kouichi smirked, watching the two fight. _I guess he's okay, but…that voice…_

—

Gatomon stepped out of the elevator, standing on the steps of the Trailmon station. She walked down the steps slowly. Then she picked a tunnel and began to run.

"If I can't stop Wizardmon…then I'll just have to call in the only person that can match his prowess!"

Her tail ring glowed as she disappeared into the tunnel, determined.

—

_madjack89:_ Well, how was that chapter? Interesting? Not so much?

_Kouji:_ I feel humiliated…

_Kouichi:_ Yes everyone, that was 'it'. Told you it wasn't that bad.

_Kouji: _She cut down the part where me and Takuya were practicing…it was pure torture!

_Takuya:_ I thought it was awesome! I never knew how much being you feels like being Luke Skywalker.

_Kouji:_ Takuya…

_JP:_ Well, I for one am unsatisfied with my lack of getting my own character development.

_Zoe:_ Technically, we already got character development.

_madjack89:_ Calm down, I'll give all of you character development. You can't rush these things, you know.

_JP:_ Well, you've been spending so much time with Kouichi's character development!

_madjack89:_ Do you want back in the story, or not?

_JP: _Fine.

_madjack89:_ Okay, time to say adios! Don't forget to R&R!


	15. Not really ch 14, but read it anyway

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Sorry, not chapter 14…**

_Takuya:_ Hi there, everyone!

_Kouji:_ Um, hi.

_Daiki:_ Yo yo yo, home slices!

_Hotaru:_ …

_Kouichi:_ Hello!

_Takuya:_ I bet you're wondering where Madjack is, huh? Well, first of all, this isn't ACTUALLY chapter 14. Madjack told the five of us to entertain you guys because she won't be able to update chapter fourteen until the end of next week, so…you get us instead.

_Kouichi:_ Sorry! But we'll try our hardest to keep you happy until then!

_Daiki:_ We're going to give you some interviews, a sneak peek of chapters to come and, best of all, randomness!

_Kouji:_ Yeah, but you guys are forgetting that she ALSO told us to answer reviews from the last chapter.

_Takuya:_ Oh yeah…

_Daiki:_ Wait! I've got an idea! Why don't we all answer reviews together! Like those guys in suits do on those shows on TV!

_Hotaru:_ Like a group discussion?

_Daiki:_ Yeah, like that!

_Kouichi:_ Sounds good.

_Takuya:_ Sure!

_Kouji:_ Fine.

_Takuya:_ Okay, let's begin!

_babytigera:_

_Kouichi:_ Well, thank you for choosing me as your favorite character! I seem to get a lot of fans, for some reason.

_Daiki:_ There is a very simple explanation! Girls love twins!

_Kouji and Kouichi:_ …Oh.

_Takuya:_ And thanks for choosing me as your second, but…why does everyone call me stupid!

_Kouji:_ Because you are.

_Takuya:_ Kouji…

_Kouichi:_ Um…let's move on before this turns into a fight…heh heh…

_Megmo8214:_

_Takuya:_ Ahem…ready guys?

_Everyone:_ Ready.

_Takuya:_ 1…2…3…

_Everyone:_ Thank you for the nice review!

_Takuya:_ I think that's what Madjack would say.

_Kouji:_ Okay, next review.

_JewelledTears: _

_Takuya:_ Ha! People DO like that line, Kouji! Maybe you should start using it too!

_Kouji:_ NEVER! I will NEVER say that!

_Kouichi:_ Heh heh…

_Kouji:_ What are you laughing at?

_Kouichi:_ Oh, nothing.

_Daiki:_ What? Of course we have Star Wars! It's an international type thing! And Teen Titans…I think we have that, too. I mean, I've never seen it, but…!

_Hotaru:_ There are always subs.

_Daiki:_ Right!

_Kouji:_ And just to rehash this point…I AM NOT INTERESTED IN KOUICHI LIKE THAT! God…

_Takuya:_ The fangirls beg to differ, Kouji.

_Kouji:_ …Takouji.

_Takuya:_ Gaaahhh!

_Kouji:_ And because I said that, I'd better say this…I AM NOT GAY! In fact, in chapters to come, I prove that I'm not gay because…I can't say yet.

_Kouichi:_ Should I say I'm not interested in Kouji too, or is it already obvious?

_Daiki:_ Um, let's get on to the next review! Wheeeeee!

_Kouichi:_ Wait, it's not obvious that I'm in love with Zoe!

_Zoe:_ What?

_Kouichi: _Agh! Zoe! What are you doing here…

_Zoe:_ Well, I was told to come for an interview, but if you don't want me to…

_Kouichi:_ No wait! Just wait until we're done answering reviews, okay?

_Zoe:_ Okay! I'll wait outside! *_leaves*_

_Takuya:_ Smooth.

_Kouichi:_ Ughhhhhhh…

_GoldenDragon326:_

_Takuya:_ Well, Madjack said she was hyper when she wrote chapter thirteen, so she ended up putting a double dose of jokes in the chapter! But that's not really a bad thing, is it? Hee…freaky telekinetic twin powers…

_Kouji:_ Shut up!

_Daiki:_ But I once read that since identical twins come from one embryo, they share a brain wavelength or something and they can tell if the other twin is in pain!

_Takuya:_ Aha! Freaky telekinetic twin powers!

_Kouichi:_ Interesting.

_Kouji:_ *_sigh*_ I give up.

_Kouichi:_ And I agree, 'it' really wasn't that bad.

_Kouji:_ *_glares*_ Moving on…

_greywindfalcon:_

_Takuya:_ Well, I'm glad that SOMEONE likes my sense of humor.

_Kouji:_ Yeah, whatever.

_Wizardmon:_ Hee hee, I knew that line was pure gold!

_Everyone:_ Get out of here!

_Wizardmon:_ Humph… *_leaves*_

_Kouichi:_ I hope you didn't hurt yourself when you fell off the chair…

_Kouji:_ That's probably not literal, Kouichi.

_Kouichi:_ Oh…alright then! I feel stupid…

_Kouji:_ You're not stupid; you're just too nice for your own good.

_Daiki:_ Yup, he is!

_Takuya:_ Okay, time to get to that interview with Zoe. Zoe, come on in!

_Zoe:_ Alright!_ *walks in*_ Okay, what is this interview about?

_Daiki:_ Well, Kouichi sits in this chair, you sit in the other, the rest of us sit five feet away from you guys, and we ask you questions about your character!

_Kouichi: *blushes*_ Dai! Get those chairs back over here!

_Daiki:_ Fine…!

_Takuya:_ Did that require an exclamation point?

_Daiki:_ I'm trying to end all my sentences with exclamation points today!

_Takuya:_ Um, okay…let's just do this interview.

_Everyone: *sits*_

_Takuya:_ So, using a list of questions Madjack gave us for you to answer, when is your birthday?

_Zoe:_ May 6.

_Kouji:_ Um…are you Italian and Japanese, or just Italian?

_Zoe:_ Well, my mother is Italian and my father is Japanese. We lived in Japan for awhile, then we moved to Italy, then we moved back to Japan. That sounds kind of confusing, huh?

_Kouji:_ Hey, I moved a lot as a kid too. I know the feeling.

_Zoe:_ At least you stayed in the same country.

_Kouji:_ True…except when we moved to the US for about two months.

_Daiki:_ Wow, you lived in America! Awesome!

_Kouichi:_ What was that like?

_Kouji:_ Well…there were big buildings, people that ignored me, and I learned to speak English pretty well.

_Takuya:_ Wow, you could talk to Mimi all day long!

_Kouji:_ No!

_Daiki:_ Okay Zoe! Does your blonde hair make you feel uncomfortable when you're standing in a crowd? You know, in Japan!

_Zoe:_ Well…maybe. It does usually make me stick out in a crowd, but so does hanging out with you guys, so it's okay.

_Kouji:_ Girls…

_Takuya:_ Is that your catch phrase or something?

_Kouichi:_ Hotaru, are you still alive?

_Hotaru:_ …Yes.

_Kouichi:_ Okay…Zoe, who did you have a…um…crush on in the Digital World…? _Daiki gave me this on purpose…_

_Zoe:_ Ha ha ha ha! I get asked that all the time! Well, let's see…I'd have to say that I DID have a little crush on Kouji…but we're just friends now. Besides, I think he might have had a crush on ME too, but that was just an assumption, so it might not necessarily be true…

_Kouji:_ Well…I found you…maybe…slightly attractive…

_Zoe:_ *_giggles*_ Yeah, well, I thought for a while that I had a crush on Takuya too, but I realized that I just felt protective of him, like a mother. And he really needed it sometimes, let me say…

_Takuya:_ Yeah…I still remember when I told you I liked you. Not in the Digital World, but when I full-on confessed when we got back to the human world. And…you turned me down.

_Zoe:_ Takuya…you know I had to. I didn't feel that way about you.

_Daiki:_ I smell a story!

_Takuya:_ Hmmm…maybe we could tell it. You know, as an extra feature. We are trying to put as many extra things in here as possible.

_Kouji:_ If you're okay with it, fine.

_Zoe:_ Wait! I didn't say how I felt about Kouichi back then!

_Kouichi:_ Oh…well…ha ha, I guess you didn't! _Ahhhh…_

_Zoe:_ Hmm…at first, I thought Kouichi was like a mystery man full of secrets!

_Kouichi:_ Gah!_ *falls over anime style*_

_Zoe:_ But after talking to him, I found out that Kouichi is a really sweet, considerate person.

_Kouichi:_ *_blushes slightly, turns head*_ I don't know about that…

_Daiki:_ Hee hee!

_JP:_ What about me, Zoe!

_Zoe:_ Um, you're a little pushy, but you're a nice guy, too.

_JP: _Yes!

_Takuya:_ Okay, now I'll tell you my rejection story. In story format, no less!

—

_One day after school…_

"Um, hey Zoe? Can I maybe talk to you for a minute? You know, in private?" I said, shuffling my feet. I had tossed around the consequences of telling Zoe I loved her for a while, but I had finally decided to bring out my impulsive side and just blurt it out.

"Sure," she said, flashing me that pretty smile of hers. Yeah, you guessed it. I got even more nervous.

"Go ahead, Takuya," said Kouichi reassuringly. "I'll wait for you guys here." Man, Kouichi's a great guy! Don't let anyone, including him, tell you different! And I didn't even know he had a…oh wait, she…um, yeah. Kouichi's a nice guy. If you're wondering where Kouji is, he didn't go to the same school as Kouichi, Zoe and I did last year. And I preoccupied JP with something so he wouldn't interfere. Plus, Kouichi was keeping watch for him. Again, great guy.

So we walked over to a big tree near the edge of the school yard. It was the picture of perfect timing, let me tell you. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, somewhere children were laughing, I'm sure…it was just perfect. Then, in my very blunt way of doing things (I admit that I tend to be blunt), I just kind of spat it out.

"Zoe, I…I love you! I've wanted to tell you, to REALLY tell you, for a while now, but…" I took this pause to gauge her reaction, but she didn't seem at all surprised. Actually, she knew that this would happen eventually. She just knows us too well…

Yeah, she rejected me. But she really was nice about it, like she had been planning what to say for a while. Which, in fact, she had.

"Takuya…I'm sorry, but…I don't feel that way. I care about you, but in a different way. In a friendly way. I'd rather stay friends with you than…well, you know. I'm sorry."

Well, I felt like the world's biggest idiot. I really just could not look her straight in the eye after she said that. My head was just spinning like crazy, and I was getting a little dizzy. I actually faltered slightly, which made Zoe nervous. She asked me if I was okay and grabbed me before I fell. This made me feel worse, so I gently pulled my arm from her grasp, saying, "Thank you for telling me the truth."

Then I ran. I didn't look back, I just ran. This is because I could feel the tears brimming in my eyes. Of course, the tears always come. I didn't want to make Zoe feel bad for just telling me the truth, so I made sure I was far away from school before I stopped running.

I looked around and realized I had no idea where I was. That seemed fitting, so I let go. I cried. I won't give you all the details, but it was a pretty big sob-fest. Well, after a while I went home, and things went back to normal. Though I'd kind of freaked Kouichi out when I ran past him. He said I'd looked like I was gonna go jump off a bridge or something. Needless to say, both he and Zoe were very happy to see me at school the next day.

Well, there you have it. Not much of a story, but still.

—

_Zoe:_ Aww, now I do feel bad! You said you didn't cry!

_Takuya:_ I lied. Sorry.

_Kouji:_ Well, that was informative.

_Kira: *bursts open door*_ Takuya!_ *hugs Takuya sympathetically*_

_Takuya:_ It's alright now, Kira. That happened awhile ago.

_Kira:_ But it still happened…

_Zoe:_ Oh, now I feel completely horrible!

_Kouichi:_ You're not horrible…you're a kind person. And you're compassionate.

_Zoe: _Kouichi…you really are too sweet.

_Kouichi: *blushes furiously*_ Heh heh…

_Daiki:_ Maybe we should rap this up now! Shino, Tommy, take us out!

_Shino:_ In the next chapter, we find out that Wizardmon's attack was not as harmless as it seemed, as Kouji has some uncomfortable memories come back to haunt him.

_Tommy:_ And why is Shino's arm hurting him suddenly? Maybe he needs an ice pack…

_Shino:_ Plus, Kouichi and Zoe grow closer as JP and Zoe's friendship grows strained.

_Tommy:_ Also, Shinya begins to grow jealous of all the attention Takuya gives me, and Takuya's cousin makes a surprise visit…but what's that look in his eye for?

_Shino:_ So many questions, so little answers. Keep watch for updates, and have a good week!

_Tommy:_ Bye!

_madjack89:_ Um…what are you guys doing?

_Everyone:_ Uh…

_madjack89:_ Hey, I never told you to do this! You did this behind my back!

_Takuya:_ Uh, see you, everyone!

_madjack89:_ Takuya…


	16. Ch 14: I Love You

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 14 (I promise): I Love You **

_madjack89:_ HI, EVERYONE! I'M BACK!

_Takuya: _Yay!

_Daiki:_ Hooray!

_Hotaru:_ …Yeah.

_Kouji:_ Why are you always so loud?

_madjack89:_ Because I can be!

_Kouji: *sigh*_

_madjack89:_ Anyway, I'm back and better than ever! I've had an entire week to think my story over (along with chillin at the beach) and I am now ready to give you the answers you've been waiting for! And I will also answer your reviews! Hooray! I'm excited!

_*break*_

_Kayland Elric: _Hey, you're back! How was your vacation? Mine was good! Sorry about your kitty…my kitty once ran away, but now I have a new kitty! I still miss my old kitty though…but thanks for reviewing!

_babytigera:_ Well, I made Hotaru to be the stereotypical "silent type." Basically, he doesn't say much. But Daiki was there, so naturally, so was he. He's an enigma, even to me! I also find it easier to write lines for those five, so that's why they were doing the fake chapter. And I'm glad you think I'm funny, but please don't die! Then I'd feel bad…and thanks for reviewing!

_greywindfalcon:_ First of all, they have enough puns in Digimon's dialogue without me adding to them. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it was actually Takuya and Daiki that collaborated for that "not a chapter." They paid the twins to do it. They (I) thought it would be nice to give you guys something to read while I was gone. And I also love that part in the movie! I actually think it's kind of funny when those two fight…but I digress. Thanks!

_JewelledTears:_ Yummy, cookie! _eats_ Thanks! I actually did read that twin thing somewhere, but I didn't really ever think it applied to everyone…oh well! It's cool that you have a twin, though! I once got an immunization thingy on my arm too. It hurts! Once again, oh well! Hm…that is an interesting guess. Well, we'll see if you're right! Thank you!

_GoldenDragon326: _Yes, they are sneaky, aren't they? Host a chapter by themselves…but anyway, thanks for the nice review! I'm glad you enjoyed the not-a-chapter, too!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Kouichi!

_Kouichi: *jumps in surprise*_ What?

_madjack89:_ What time is it?

_Kouichi:_ Time for you to take your medication?

_madjack89: _No, it's time for chapter 14!

_Takuya:_ Hooray!

_madjack89:_ Oh, by the way, Hotaru is now fourteen. It's now February 4 in the story. I did a time skip!

_Hotaru:_ Okay, so I'm the oldest.

_madjack89:_ Yes you are. Okay, time for the real chapter fourteen!

—

_Huh? Where…am I? "Hee hee! Kouji, you're so cute!"_ _What? That sounds like… "Come on! We're not getting any younger!" That's…me! But that's…no!_

_"Kouji, look out!" Screech! NO! SEIKO!_

Kouji's eyes shot open. His breathing slowed as he realized he'd only been dreaming. He sat up, grabbing his bandana off his side table. "Seiko…" he muttered, clutching it to his chest.

_-Can you honestly tell me you've forgotten your vow?-_ "What?" Kouji turned, looking for the source of the voice he'd heard. _–Heh heh…I'm not anywhere in your room.- _Kouji realized that the voice was coming from INSIDE his head.

_What…? Who are you?_ thought Kouji, realizing it would be pointless to talk to it out loud.

The voice chuckled._ –Let's just call me that little voice in the back of your head, come to help you find sight of your goals again.-_

Kouji tensed. _What do you mean?_

_-You know exactly what I mean. That little vow you made…after the funeral.-_

_…What about it?_

_-Heh heh heh…we have much to discuss.-_

—

"Ah, life is good!" said Takuya, slouching down in his chair. It was free time during school, and Takuya, Kouji, Kouichi, and Daiki were sitting in chairs in the back of the classroom.

"It sure is!" exclaimed Daiki, playing with his yo-yo.

The other three stared at Daiki. "Um, have you even put that thing down since you got it, Dai?" asked Kouichi.

"Well, duh! I have to sleep eventually!" The others sweatdropped.

Takuya broke the silence first. "What's up with you today, Kouji? You seem out of it."

Kouji was silent for a moment, fiddling with his Livestrong band (I don't know if they have them in Japan, but Kouji gets one because he's Kouji flippin Minamoto!). "Well...I did have this nightmare last night. But it's nothing to worry about."

Takuya chuckled. "What, did the boogey man jump out of the closet and scare you?" Kouji glared at Takuya and pushed his chair with his foot. "Waahh!" Takuya exclaimed as his chair fell over with him in it.

The others ignored Takuya and continued their conversation. "So, what exactly was it about?" asked Kouichi curiously.

Kouji hesitated. _Should I tell them?_ "Well, there was this really weird voice-" Suddenly Kouji clutched his head in pain. "Urgh…my head…"

"Kouji!" Kouichi, Daiki, and Takuya jumped up.

"I'll get the teacher!" said Daiki, rushing to the front of the classroom.

Kouichi and Takuya went to Kouji's side, keeping him from falling out of his chair. By then a crowd had gathered around them, trying to see what was going on. A few girls looked especially worried.

"Out of my way!" ordered the teacher, pushing her way through the crowd with Daiki close behind. "Kouji, what's wrong? Is it a headache?"

Kouji didn't seem to be listening to anything that was going on around him. His eyes were open wide, staring at the floor. He had a scared look on his face.

"Mr. Kimura! Mr. Kanbara! Please escort Kouji to the infirmary!" said the teacher, gesturing to Kouichi and Takuya.

They nodded, slinging Kouji's arms over each of their shoulders and walking him through the door and down the hall.

After a few moments, Kouichi muttered, "Kouji, what kind of voice was it? You know, in your nightmare."

Takuya stared at him like he was crazy. "Kouichi! How can you ask that at a time like this?"

"This isn't some stupid question. This is important!" said Kouichi firmly. Takuya looked taken aback. "Well Kouji?"

Kouji still didn't seem to be listening to them. "Kouji!" yelled Kouichi, snapping Kouji out of it. Kouji blinked a few times.

"What voice? I don't know what you're talking about," he said slowly. Then he wrenched his arms from their grip. "I can walk, you know!" he snapped, walking ahead of them.

Takuya glared at him. "You big jerk! We were trying to help you! That's it; I'm going back to class!" Takuya turned around, quickly walking back down the hall. "C'mon, Kouichi!"

Kouichi paused for a moment, staring at Kouji as he continued down the hall. Suddenly Kouji stopped and turned to face him. "Instead of worrying about me, why don't you worry about your own problems, like your relationship with Zoe? Hasn't she been avoiding you since we brought you back?" With that, Kouji turned the corner and was out of sight.

Kouichi flinched. Kouji's words stung with the truth they carried. He had already apologized for making Zoe worry about him, and she had accepted his apology, but she was still avoiding him. Every time he was near her, she would make some sort of hurried excuse to leave.

Kouichi turned, walking back toward class. _I don't know what's gotten into you, but you've made a valid point. I have to figure out why she's mad at me and fix it._

He gulped, knowing what he would have to do after that. "And then I have to tell her that…I love her."

—

Zoe, Kira, and Tomoyo were also sitting in class, enjoying their free time. Well, technically, Kira and Tomoyo were enjoying it. Zoe was busy worrying over her current love life situation, pacing in small circles near the side wall of the classroom.

"I don't know what to do. I mean, what if Kira's right, and I am in love with Kouichi? What if he doesn't like me back? And what if he does like me, but it turns out that I actually don't like him and Kira just imagined it? Then what do I do?" Zoe muttered, continuing to pace back and forth.

Kira sat slouched in her desk (similar to Takuya), reading aloud the questions from a teen magazine's quiz, "How to Know if You're REALLY in Love," to Tomoyo, who sat backwards at the desk in front of her.

"Alright, last question. 'Do you ever think that this may not be the right guy for you to be around? A: Yes. B: No. C: Kind of.'" asked Kira in a bored voice.

"B," Tomoyo answered automatically. "JP is the love of my life. Of course I think he's the right guy to be around!" she added matter-of-factly.

Kira rolled her eyes. "If you're so set on marrying pudge-gut, why did you make me read this damn quiz out loud to you, anyway?"

"Call him that atrocious nickname one more time, and I swear I will shove that magazine straight down your throat!" threatened Tomoyo, leaning over her seat and glaring Kira down.

"Easy, there; I didn't mean anything by it!" Kira said quickly, calming Tomoyo down. "I'm just confused as to why you love him so damn much. I mean, it's obvious that he is head-over-heels for Zoe, not to mention he's rejected you more times than I can count! Not to mention he acts like a complete flirt! Why do you like a guy like that?"

Tomoyo paused, smiling sadly at Kira. "I know. He IS all of those things. But-"

"But he's definitely a better person than you give him credit for, Kira," said Zoe, speaking Tomoyo's words for her. She paused in her pacing, smiling at Tomoyo. Tomoyo smiled back. "Right!"

Kira looked at them both, smiling coyly. "Well, while you two dream of going out with your dream dates, I shall be living your fantasy for you as I continue to date my ever-lovable goggle headed boyfriend, Taki!" she said smugly.

Zoe and Tomoyo stared at her, annoyed. Then Tomoyo smirked, saying, "Well, today I'm making my dreams a reality! I'm going to tell JP I truly, madly, deeply love him!"

"Um, isn't that a song?" commented Kira.

"But Tomoyo," said Zoe, ignoring Kira, "You've already told him before that you love him. You've even forced him to go on dates with you! What makes today any different?"

Tomoyo smiled, an evil glint in her eye. "Today I'm going to make him take me seriously."

Zoe sighed. "You two have it so easy. I mean, I don't even know who I love anymore."

Kira and Tomoyo paused, staring at Zoe excitedly. "You mean you've had crushes before!" Tomoyo squealed, giggling with delight.

Zoe blushed slightly. "Well, of course. I mean after spending so much time alone with…" Zoe stopped herself, realizing that she couldn't talk about the Digital World around Tomoyo. She rephrased herself quickly in her head, and then continued. "I mean, most of my friends are boys, after all. It's only natural to have a crush on one of them."

Tomoyo squealed happily. "Oh, this is so exciting! Who'd you have a crush on, Zoe?"

"I bet it was pretty boy, right?" said Kira.

"If you mean Kouji, you're right," said Zoe, holding her hand up to halt Tomoyo's squeal. "But I don't have a crush on him anymore. We're just friends."

Tomoyo sank back in her seat. "Pretty boy gets all the girls, doesn't he?" said Kira, smirking slightly.

Zoe sat down too, resting her head on a desk. "But now I might have a crush on his twin brother! Oh, what am I gonna do?"

"Zoe…" Kira muttered sympathetically, patting her friend's head.

Tomoyo, however, was not so sympathetic. She shot up from her chair and stomped over to Zoe. "Listen up! You, my friend, are an Italian babe! You could get any guy you want to, but you know why you don't? Because you know deep inside you that you truly love someone else, and do you know who that someone is? Kouichi Kimura!

"So today, you and I are gonna march right on down to that school and we are going to tell the men we love what's what! And you know why? Because we are the Girls in Love Alliance!"

Tomoyo finished her speech with a flourish, pointing her finger towards the sky triumphantly.

"Okay, seriously, first the song _Truly Madly Deeply_ then a line from the manga of Full Moon? This is ridiculous…" said Kira.

Zoe, however, seemed moved by Tomoyo's speech. "You're right. I have to stop lying to myself. I am in love with Kouichi Kimura, and today, I'm going to tell him!"

—

JP sat in class, barely paying any attention to the teacher as he droned on. Suddenly, he got a sick feeling in his stomach. Not like a stomachache, but like some seriously big butterflies fluttering around madly in his stomach, trying to tell him something.

_Something's wrong,_ he thought, worry slowly creeping through him. He knew this feeling. He'd had it before. In the Digital World.

He had first noticed it during their original adventures in the Digital World. After all of them had gotten their spirits, JP sometimes got these feelings about everyone else. Sure, they were connected as friends, but he was connected in a way he didn't really understand.

It wasn't consistent, though, and it didn't happen frequently. The most painful feeling had been when they all thought Kouichi had died. He had felt like he was being torn apart by the sudden cloud of anguished emotion that had hit him like a bullet to the heart. He hadn't told the others about it, though. It didn't seem that important.

At the moment, JP was getting a feeling that was trying to tell him something. Something he needed to do…

"JP!" said Hotaru urgently, breaking JP out of his trance. "The bell rang. School's out."

JP nodded absentmindedly, gathering his things quickly and starting toward the classroom door. "Thank you Hotaru! Sorry I gotta rush off like this, but I gotta find Zoe right now and tell her I love her!"

—

Kouichi stepped outside the school building, leaving Takuya and Daiki to check on Kouji. There was something important he had to do first. He scanned the masses of children outside the school, looking for one in particular. He finally found her, standing by a tree with Tomoyo and Kira beside her, looking up anxiously at the school.

Kouichi swallowed his doubt, slowly making his way through the crowd. "Here I go."

—

JP marched through the school doors just after Kouichi, quickly finding Zoe in the crowd. He also made his slow way through the crowd, going a different way than Kouichi had. "Here I go."

—

"Here they come," said Kira, alerting Tomoyo and Zoe to Kouichi and JP heading their way. Tomoyo and Zoe glanced at each other and nodded. "Here we go."

—

Kouichi and JP pushed their way out of the crowd at the same time, both getting within hearing range of Zoe.

"Zoe!"

"Zoe!"

"Kouichi!"

"JP!"

Kouichi, JP, Zoe, and Tomoyo stood in a circle, staring at each other with wide eyes and confused expressions.

"Well, this is awkward," said JP sheepishly.

—

_madjack89:_ Well, there you go! The real chapter fourteen!

_Kouji:_ Joy.

_Takuya:_ Let's see…the next chapter's about why Tomoyo and JP's relationship, Kouichi and Zoe finally getting together, and what the hell is wrong with Kouji.

_madjack89:_ Yup, that about sums it up!

_Kouji:_ You can't stand short chapters, can you?

_madjack89:_ Nope!

_JP:_ Who can?

_Takuya:_ Yeah really.

_Kouji:_ You know what? Forget I mentioned it.

_Takuya and JP:_ Okay!

_Kouji: *sigh*_

_madjack89:_ Okay guys, see you in chapter fifteen (Wow this is getting long)!


	17. Ch 15: Papercut

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 15: Papercut**

_madjack89:_ Hey everyone! Sorry I craped out on you last chapter, but you know how it is…short chapter, blah blah blah. That's why I'm making this chapter so super-uber long that it will blow your minds!

_Takuya:_ That's the spirit! Power to the people!

_madjack89:_ Yeah! And on that note, let's make this commentary longer, too!

_Tommy:_ How?

_madjack89:_ Um, we could ramble on about some random subject until we get bored.

_JP:_ Like, why is Kouji always so mean?

_Takuya:_ Yeah, really! He's always calling me names like 'stupid' and 'idiot' and 'retard' and 'moron' and 'dimwit' and 'knucklehead' and 'blockhead' and 'dolt' and 'dunce' and 'fool' and 'ignoramus' and 'imbecile' and 'numskull' and 'boob'…

_Kouji:_ I've never called you a boob.

_Takuya:_ You were thinking it!

_Kouji:_ And I only call you those names because you act like an idiot and a retard and…

_Zoe:_ I think we get the point, Kouji.

_Kouji:_ Well, what do the rest of you think? Am I mean?

_JP:_ Um…maybe.

_Shino:_ You have a tendency to be a little...harsh.

_Kira:_ You're a complete and utter jerk, pretty boy.

_Kouji:_ I choose to ignore the Yankee's comment.

_Kira:_ Not a Yankee!

_Kouji:_ Moving on…what about you, Daiki?

_Daiki:_ Dai. And yes, you are.

_Hotaru: *nods*_

_Kouji:_ …Gee, thanks.

_Zoe:_ Well, I don't think you're mean. You're just…uh…you?

_Kouichi:_ I choose not to answer the question.

_Kouji:_ Hey, what does that mean? You think that I act like jerk!

_Kouichi:_ I think I'm gonna go now. *_leaves*_

_Kouji:_ Hey, wait a minute! Get back here! *_leaves*_

_Zoe:_ Well…at least now we don't have to worry about Kouji and Takuya fighting.

_JP:_ Praised be the day!

_Takuya:_ Ha ha, very funny. So, what do we do now?

_Tommy:_ We could…draw pictures!

_JP:_ That's a great idea, Tommy! Though, there is one thing you forgot to consider.

_Tommy:_ What?

_JP:_ No one will be able to see our drawings!

_Tommy:_ Oh…well, we could always just answer reviews.

_madjack89:_ An excellent idea, Tommy! So, who wants to answer them?

_Takuya, Daiki, and Hotaru:_ Did it.

_Takuya:_ Twice.

_Shino:_ No thank you.

_JP: _Sorry, but no.

_Kira:_ Hell no.

_Zoe:_ Nope.

_Tommy:_ I gave you the idea. I can't do everything.

_madjack89:_ You guys are so lazy!

_Everyone:_ Thanks.

_madjack89: *sigh*_ Fine! I'll do it.

_*break*_

_JewelledTears:_ Yeah, well…yeah. Sorry. Thanks for commenting anyway. Hee hee hee!

_greywindfalcon:_ Thanks for the cookie! Sorry bout the shortness, yadda yadda yadda…yeah. Whee!

_Kayland Elric:_ Thank you! And Kouji is about to spaz a whole lot, so get ready, buckle your seat belt, and let's go! (Oh god, I'm way too hyper!)

_GoldenDragon326: _Yup, awkwardness all around! And actually, before I wrote this story, I didn't really like the KouichixZoe coupling. But now I think it's my favorite one in Frontier! Yay! Thanks for your review!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Wow guys, I just got really really hyper for no apparent reason whatsoever!

_Shino:_ This can't end well…

_Kouichi:_ Hey guys. I lost Kouji, so I thought I'd come back—

_madjack89:_ Kouichi!

_Kouichi:_ Um…are you really hyper right now?

_madjack89:_ Yes!

_Kouichi:_ See you later. *_leaves*_

_Takuya:_ Um, maybe we should start the chapter now?

_madjack89:_ Alright, let's get on with the chapter! Ha ha ha!

_JP:_ Is it too late to leave with Kouichi?

_madjack89:_ Yes!

_JP:_ Shoot.

—

Kouji sat on the school clinic's bed, holding an ice pack to his forehead. The school doctor had had to run a quick errand, leaving Kouji alone with his thoughts. Which was exactly what he didn't want to happen.

Kouji sighed, taking the ice pack from his head. _So, I take it you don't want anyone to know about you._

The voice chuckled darkly. _–For the moment, no. But that brother of yours worries me…-_

_Kouichi's pretty perceptive. If you're going to stop me from telling my friends, they'll just find out about you on their own._

_-Kouji, you speak as if you despise me.-_

_I do. But at the moment, there's nothing I can do about it. You're holding me hostage. And you're trying to keep me from getting near anyone. I know your plan, and it won't work._

_-And my plan would be?- _

Kouji's fist clenched. _You're trying to get me to turn against them!_

_-Heh heh…Kouji, I'm not trying to hurt. I'm trying to help. You're the one who wanted this for yourself, after all.-_

Kouji's jaw clenched angrily._ Shut up._

_-Remember how you wanted to be lonely. In your mind, friends equaled pain.-_

Kouji winced as pain shot through his temples._ Shut up._

_-And don't tell me you've forgotten Seiko…-_

"I said shut up!" yelled Kouji, punching the bed in frustration. His body shook with rage, knowing that he couldn't just make the voice go away.

_-Heh heh heh…you're so amusing, Kouji! No wonder all the girls like you.-_

Kouji smirked, trying to calm himself down. "They don't like me, because they don't know me," he muttered. "They just look at me and think I'm so cool, so naturally that have to swarm all over me. But that's not me."

_-So who are you exactly?-_

"I…I don't know." Kouji held his head in his hands. "This is just so confusing."

_-Oh, it'll be alright.-_

Suddenly, the door to the clinic swung open and Takuya poked his head around it. His eyes fell on Kouji and he smiled lopsidedly. "Hey there, buddy. How you doing?"

Kouji looked at him and was about to greet him when the voice said,_ -Didn't he call you a jerk earlier? Oh yes, what a lovely friend.-_

_Just shut up._ "Hey Takuya. I'm fine," said Kouji. _That's just what me and Takuya are like around each other. I don't know why._

"Good," said Takuya, breathing a sigh of relief. Then he looked down, seeming a bit embarrassed. "Um…I'm sorry about, uh…earlier. I mean, if I were having a headache, I probably wouldn't be in a very good mood either, so…"

Kouji stared at Takuya, surprised. He suddenly felt bad about not apologizing himself. After all, he had yelled at him. _–Oh, what's this? You feel like a jerk yourself, because of him. Is this what friendship is about?-_

_I…_ Kouji didn't know what to think. It wasn't as if the voice was wrong. He suddenly felt angry, not at himself, but at Takuya. _Why doesn't he just leave me alone?_

_Kill…_

"Arghhhh!" Kouji fell onto the bed, clutching his head in pain.

"Kouji!" Takuya ran to Kouji's side. "What's wrong? Do you need anything?" He noticed the ice pack that Kouji had dropped. "Here," he said, holding the ice pack up to Kouji.

"Damn it, Takuya! Just leave me the hell alone!" Kouji swatted the ice pack away, shoved past Takuya, and ran down the hall.

Takuya stood still for a second, completely confused. "What…?"

"Hey Takuya! How's Kouji doing?" Daiki strutted into the clinic, Hotaru right behind him. He noticed that Takuya looked kind of freaked out and that Kouji was missing. "Takuya, what happened? Where's Kouji?"

Takuya placed the ice pack on a desk by the bed. "I really don't know…"

—

"Um…oh look, there's pretty boy! I'll just go ask him where Taki is now," said Kira, rushing over to join Kouji. "You guys just do whatever you were gonna do!"

The other four stared at each other awkwardly for the next few moments. "Uh…" began Kouichi.

"Zoe, I gotta tell you something right now! Wait your turn, Chief," JP interrupted, moving toward Zoe.

"Oh no, you don't, because I have something to tell YOU!" exclaimed Tomoyo, grabbing JP from behind and dragging him slowly away.

"Wait! Stop!" yelled JP, struggling against Tomoyo with all his might. Finally, he broke free of her grasp and she fell to the ground.

"Tomoyo!" said Zoe, making a move to help her up.

"Zoe, wait." JP stood in front of Tomoyo, blocking her way.

"JP…" began Kouichi.

"Just shut up for a second!" JP snapped, glaring angrily at Kouichi. Kouichi backed up a bit, stung by JP's sudden anger. JP's expression softened a bit as he looked Kouichi straight in the eye. "We all know you're going to win, Chief, so just let me say this one thing."

He turned to Zoe, a determined look in his eye. "Zoe, I love you. I just needed you to know that I always meant it when I said I loved you, and I still love you. I just wanted you to know."

With that JP turned and helped Tomoyo to her feet. "C'mon," he said gruffly, dragging her toward the school.

Zoe watched as they pushed open the door to the school and disappeared inside. She smiled and muttered, "Thank you, JP."

Then she turned her attention to Kouichi. "Okay, Kouichi, you tell me what-"

Zoe stopped, noticing that Kouichi looked extremely embarrassed and nervous, not to mention he was blushing like crazy. "Um…I-I have to g-go!" Kouichi stuttered, turning around to leave.

"Hang on, Kouichi!" said Zoe, poking him in the side.

"Argh!" Kouichi fell to the ground in defeat.

Zoe chuckled. "That really is your ultimate weak spot, Kouichi."

"You had to go there, didn't you," he mumbled, getting slowly to his feet. He brushed himself off and faced Zoe, looking down and shuffling his feet.

"So…what is it, Kouichi? You know you can tell me anything. You don't have to be nervous," said Zoe, smiling encouragingly.

Kouichi glanced at her, feeling his face getting hotter. _It's so easy for you, JP. I…I just don't have your confidence. _

He sighed. _Perfect._

—

Meanwhile, Kira rushed up to Kouji. And she literally began running, because, as she noticed, Kouji was sprinting as fast as he could away from the school and down the street.

"Hang on, pretty boy, it's Kira!" she yelled, trying to get him to stop. Kouji stopped and turned around, waiting for her.

Kira caught up with him and stopped as well, breathing hard. "Wow, pretty boy…you sure gave me…a run for my money!"

Kouji didn't say anything. Kira blinked, noticing that he didn't look tired at all. "Wow. With that kind of stamina, you should be on the track team!" she exclaimed impressed.

"Kira…" Kouji finally muttered, taking a step toward her.

Kira tensed, realizing that something was wrong. "Kouji…?" She took a few steps back. "Are you…"

Kouji lifted his hand into his pocket, attempting to take something out. Kira's eyes grew wide when she realized that it was his D-Tector. "Kouji! What are you doing?"

Kouji stopped, seeming to come out of a trance. His eyes grew wide with fear. "Kira…" he said, breathing hard. He winced, clutching his head.

"Kouji! What is going on?" Kira began to come forward, but Kouji held up his hand, backing slowly away from her.

"No! Stay back! I…I need to…ah, damn it!" With that, Kouji continued to run down the street, turning a corner at the end.

"What the…?" said Kira. "Hmmmmm…either I go get everyone else and pretty boy gets away, or I chase after him and bring him back by force." She cringed, realizing that if she tried to bring him back, it could turn into a fight. There was definitely something wrong with him, so she would have to go up against him alone, and he was a better fighter with his spirit than she was.

Kira's fists clenched. "What am I thinking? Whenever there's a fight that needs to be fought, I'm the girl for the job!" She chased after Kouji, preparing herself for whatever was to come.

—

Zoe stood in front of Kouichi, waiting patiently to hear what he had to say.

Kouichi gulped. _Okay, it's now or never! Here I go! _"Zoe, I…I lo-" Suddenly Takuya rushed passed Kouichi, accidentally bumping into him and causing him to fall.

"Sorry Kouichi can't talk right now gotta go get your brother he's being distant and lone-wolfy and bleh again you should catch up with us later and we'll slap some sense back into him okay bye!" Takuya said in a rush, quickly running through the school gate.

"I like cookies!" exclaimed Daiki, following Takuya through the gate.

"Um…something random," said Hotaru obligatorily (in other words, I made him say something), following them.

Zoe blinked, then looked at Kouichi. "Um…that was…random. Do you need help getting up?"

"Uh…no," said Kouichi, feeling just as confused as her. He glanced around, making sure there would be no more interruptions.

"Okay…Zoe, I-"

"I love you! I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier, but I was trying to be polite and…oh, just give me a hug!" exclaimed Zoe, embracing Kouichi firmly.

Kouichi eyes widened. "Holy crap," he muttered. Zoe let go of him abruptly.

"Oh…so you really don't love me back…"

"No, no, no, I…I meant holy crap i-in a good way!" stuttered Kouichi, feeling at a loss for words.

Zoe cocked her head, confused. "Holy crap in a good way? Is that possible?"

"Um…" _Oh my god, I'm ruining it! But oh my god, she loves me back! But oh my god, I'm ruining it!_

Zoe giggled. "Kouichi, you're so cute! This is one of the things I like the most about you. You can be shy and a little awkward at times, but you mean well, and you have a good heart."

Kouichi blushed and glanced down at his feet. "I'm not that great," he mumbled.

Zoe got closer to Kouichi, resting her hand on his head and ruffling his hair. "I don't care what you did in the past, Kouichi. I don't care that you were Duskmon, and I don't care that you tried to hurt Kouji, and I don't care about any of that. After all, everyone has a dark side. You just have a bigger one than most."

Kouichi reached up and took Zoe's hand in his. "I didn't know you thought so big of me and I don't know if I can live up to your expectations."

Zoe began to retort, but Kouichi raised his other hand, stopping her. "It's my turn to talk big about you. You know, back in the Digital World, you helped me more than you know. You were always just…willing to encourage me when I really needed it, and you never ostracized. Of course, none of you really did that, but still, you're the one who really first talked to me. You know, when we stopped at that station before getting to the Rose Morning Star."

Zoe smiled mischievously. "You mean, when you were being all emo and blaming yourself for everything?"

Kouichi frowned, then smiled along with her. "As I recall, you said I was almost as cute as Kouji."

Zoe blushed. "Hey, I'd just like to point out that I did have a slight crush on him back then, and you are his identical twin." Kouichi cocked his head, wondering where this was going. "But you know what? You have a certain charm all your own that Kouji will never have."

Zoe hugged Kouichi again, and this time he hugged back. "Plus you make a pretty sexy emo!"

"Well, there are plenty of those in anime," said Kouichi, chuckling to himself. "Zoe, I love you, too."

Zoe smiled. "Yeah, I kind of figured that out."

—

JP stood by the front window of the school, watching Kouichi and Zoe hug. "Told you, Chief," he muttered, hanging his head. "I lose."

Tomoyo glanced out the window, and then looked at JP. "JP, I'm sorry…"

"No you're not," said JP, interrupting her. "After all, now you can have me all to yourself, can't you?"

Tomoyo frowned, anger brewing. "No, actually, I just thought that maybe we should let them be happy with each other instead of Zoe going into a one-sided relationship with you!"

JP chuckled. "You think I'm not happy for them? I knew that this day would come eventually, which is why I wanted to make the time I had left with her special."

"Time left with her?" said Tomoyo, confused. "But you see her almost every day!"

JP sighed. "But now she has a boyfriend, and a good one, I might add. Things aren't ever going to be the same." JP paused, watching Kouichi and Zoe rush after Takuya and the others, who had left earlier. "I lost her."

Tomoyo looked at JP for a moment, and then went forward and put her hand on his shoulder sympathetically. "JP, I love you. I hope you know that now, more than ever." She paused, trying to gauge his reaction. "After all, you said that date we had wasn't horrible, right?"

"Tomoyo…" murmured JP, reaching his arms out to Tomoyo. Tomoyo blushed and held out her arms, waiting for a hug. But instead, JP grabbed her shoulders and shoved her gently but firmly away from him.

"Why is it that you can be a one-sided relationship, but not Zoe?" Tomoyo stared at the ground, tears forming in her eyes. JP stepped back from her. "You know, you and me are a lot alike. We both keep striving for one thing, but in the end, it slips from our grasp."

"But that doesn't have to be the case with you and me!" cried Tomoyo, eyes brimming with tears. "We can have a relationship! I don't care if it's one-sided because I just want to be around you! I just want to be near you! Please just give me a chance, JP! I love you!"

JP stood still, watching calmly as Tomoyo burst into sobs. "Tomoyo, I really don't understand why you love me so much, but right now, even if I wanted to, I couldn't have a relationship with you."

"And why is that?" she yelled slightly hysterically.

JP glared at her. "Because it would endanger your safety!"

"JP, how would you endanger my safety? I mean, all of our safeties are already endangered every day by those monsters that are running loose throughout the city!"

JP sighed. "I guess there's only one way to convince you," he said, leading Tomoyo outside and into a shady corner of the school. "You're gonna want to stand back a little, Tomoyo," JP said, walking deeper into the alley and making sure that absolutely no one was around.

Tomoyo glared at him. "JP, come on! There is no possible way that you can endanger my safety more than anything else would," she stated skeptically.

JP chuckled. "We'll see about that," he said, pulling out his D-Tector. "You see this device?" Tomoyo nodded gruffly. "Let me show you what it does."

With that, JP's hand began to glow with his data, and the process of spirit evolution began. Tomoyo stared wide-eyed into the alley as, standing in JP' place, was a giant blue and yellow beetle-like monster. Tomoyo began to back up slightly, horrified.

"Hey there, Tomoyo," it said, spreading its wings as far as the alley would allow. "Now do you believe me?"

Suddenly, Tomoyo recognized the monster's voice. "JP…?"

"Technically, now I'm Beetlemon, but yeah, it's me," he said. "I hate to blow everyone else's cover, but you know the other monsters that everyone keeps seeing? Well, they are none other than my friends, including Zoe."

Tomoyo shook her head, trying to process this information. "So, you guys are the monsters, huh?"

Beetlemon nodded. "But…please don't avoid Zoe or Kira because of it. If you avoid me, I understand. If you hate me, I understand that, too, so don't feel bad."

"Are you kidding me?" Tomoyo smiled, walking up and touching Beetlemon's arm. "I'll love you no matter what. You guys have been protecting all of us from day one. You could even say I love you more now, if that's even possible."

Beetlemon looked confused, and then sighed. "Tomoyo, you are one crazy chick. But not as crazy as Kira."

—

"I just got a feeling that someone is talking about me behind my back," muttered Kira, standing at a T intersection. "Damn it, where'd you go?" she wondered aloud, trying to catch a glimpse of Kouji.

Then she had a sudden idea. "I can use this thing!" she said, holding up her D-Tector. "The others said we could use these things to track stuff, so I could probably use it to track Kouji! I am a genius!

"Alright, here I go!" she exclaimed, looking at the various buttons on her D-Tector. "It shouldn't be that hard, right?"

~_45 minutes later…_

"Oh my god! Damn it! How do you freaking work this freaking thing! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

"Kira! Is that you cussing wildly?" yelled Takuya, coming down the street toward her and followed by Daiki and Hotaru.

"This thing is completely retarded!" Kira cried, getting extremely angry. "How in the hell are you even supposed to work these freaking things!"

"Um…truthfully, we're still not even really sure of how they work. We usually just keep pushing buttons until something happens," said Takuya sheepishly. Kira glared at him, feeling at a loss for words. "Why are you trying to use it, anyway?"

Kira sighed, telling them about her encounter with Kouji. "And I thought I could use THIS demon seed to find him, but no! It's too retarded to do what it's supposed to do!"

"Well, Takuya said that all we need to do to make it work are push a bunch of buttons until something happens, so let's push some buttons!" said Daiki good-naturedly, pushing a button on his D-Tector. Instantly, the device lit up, showing a map-type thing on its screen.

"Hey I did it!" said Daiki happily.

"Good going, buddy. None of us have ever gotten it to work that fast!" said Takuya, patting him on the back.

Kira looked at her D-Tector. "This thing hates me," she muttered, exasperated.

"How do you read this?" asked Hotaru, staring at the odd looking mapish thing.

Takuya looked at Daiki's D-Tector. "Hmmm…I believe that we need to go this way!" said Takuya, pointing to their right.

"You believe, or you know?" asked Kira.

"I believe that I know, now come on guys!" said Takuya, marching forward.

"Yay!" exclaimed Daiki, following him.

Kira and Hotaru sighed and followed them as well.

However, it didn't take them long to find what they were tracking, for as they turned the corner, they came face to face with…

"Um…hi guys," said Kouichi, Zoe close behind him.

"Kouichi!" exclaimed Takuya and Kira.

"Hi, Chief!" said Daiki cheerfully. "Looks like I accidentally tracked you instead of Kouji!"

"Um…sure, why not?" said Kouichi, confused.

"So you were trying to track Kouji, but you accidentally tracked Kouichi?" Zoe said, clarifying.

Daiki nodded his head.

Zoe began to giggle. "Okay, you have to admit, that's just a little bit funny!"

Takuya sighed. "Looks like we'll have to rely on the freaky telekinetic twin powers after all. Alright Kouichi, do your thing."

"Freaky…what do I have to do?" said Kouichi, more confused than ever.

"We're the suckiest search party ever, aren't we?" muttered Kira sarcastically.

"Yup!" said Daiki.

—

Shino rested against a wall, breathing hard and clutching his arm in pain. _Just a little farther,_ he thought, moving slowly forward again.

Finally, he reached his destination. The park. And there sitting on a bench, was the thing he was looking for.

"Kouji…" he muttered, limping forward.

Kouji heard some leaves rustle and, realizing someone was coming toward him, looked up to see Shino coming slowly and, by the looks of it, painfully toward him.

Kouji began to panic. "Shino, please, just stay back! There's something wrong with me, and you could get hurt!" He paused, realizing Shino already looked hurt. "Are you okay?" he asked, moving slowly toward him.

Suddenly Shino looked up, glaring at him. "Get away from me, you monster!"

Kouji backed up slightly, eyes wide. He smiled weakly. "You're right, Shino. You are completely right."

"No!" Shino yelled quickly, startling Kouji. "Not you. I mean that dark thing inside you!"

Kouji stared at Shino, confused. "How do you…?" he began.

Shino reached up and slowly rolled up his sleeve, revealing the burn that Wizardmon had given him. However, now it was glowing with a strange light. "I-I don't know what's going on, but something's telling me that you need our help, that there's something dark inside of you."

Kouji paused, stunned. "Shino…I think that's more than a burn."

"No kidding," remarked Shino, wincing in pain. "Now come on."

Kouji stood still. "Shino…I'm sorry," he said, coming closer. Before Shino could react, Kouji hit him over the head, knocking him unconscious. "I c-can't risk your lives."

Kouji turned, leaving Shino where he lay. "You're right, voice," he said, holding back tears. "I did go back on my vow. I thought that everything would be better if I just stayed away from people. But now," he paused, glancing back at Shino, "I ended up making friends after all."

_-That can easily be fixed, Kouji,- _said the voice seductively.

"How?" asked Kouji, mesmerized.

_-Let's just say that everything must meet its end someday…heh heh heh…-_

—

_madjack89:_ Okie dokie, I'm guessing that was long enough!

_Takuya:_ Wow, this was pretty long. This is like another super chapter!

_madjack89:_ Yes indeed! That was the plan!

_Kira:_ Alright, so what will happen next?

_Zoe:_ Let's see._ *picks up cue card*_ Next time we'll focus a lot on Kouji's little issue and figure out more about what happened with this Seiko character.

_Takuya:_ And we'll kick the crap out of Kouji!

_Zoe:_ That's not written here!

_Takuya:_ I can only hope…

_JP:_ Okay, so…what now?

_Daiki:_ I want a cookie.

_JP:_ Why?

_Daiki:_ Because I like cookies! Weren't you paying attention?

_JP:_ …To what?

_Zoe: *sigh*_ We better just end the chapter here.

_madjack89:_ Good idea.

_Kouichi:_ Okay, is Madjack done being hyper now?

_madjack89:_ Yup!

_Kouichi:_ Oh good.

_madjack89:_ Bye everyone!

_Kouichi:_ Wait, it's the end? Darn, I missed everything.

_Takuya:_ Kind of like how you missed out on our movie?

_Kouichi:_ Shut up.

_Tommy:_ Bye bye, everybody!

_Daiki:_ I still want a cookie…

_Shino:_ Here's an Oreo.

_Daiki:_ Yay! Where'd you get this?

_Shino:_ It was sitting on that table.

_Neji Hyuga: *walks up*_ Okay, who took my Oreo!

_Kouji:_ Hey guys, I'm back.

_Neji and Kouji: *stare at each other*_

_Daiki:_ Hey, your voices are similar!

_Zoe:_ In the English dub of Digimon Frontier and Naruto, they're both voiced by Steve Staley.

_madjack89:_ Okay guys, it's seriously time to end the chapter. And why are you here, Neji?

_Neji:_ Because I can be.

_madjack89:_ Um…okay. See you in the next chapter, guys!

_Neji and Kouji:_ Yeah._ *stare at each other again*_

_Takuya:_ This is awesome! Bye everyone!

_Kouichi:_ Please don't let Itachi show up…


	18. Ch 16: Fading Memories

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 16: Fading Memories**

_madjack89:_ Hey everyone! How you doing? Did you like the last chapter?

_Kouji: _Why don't you read their comments and find out?

_madjack89:_ You're no fun, Kouji.

_Kouji:_ Whatever.

_madjack89:_ And I'm surprised that you're not mad at me for the last chapter.

_Kouji:_ You're the one who said you like happy endings.

_madjack89:_ Well yeah, but still.

_Kouichi:_ At least my problems are solved for the moment.

_Kouji:_ See?

_madjack89:_ Oh, just shut up, everyone!

_Tommy:_ I'm sorry.

_Takuya:_ She didn't mean you, Tommy. She meant Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb over there, and don't even try to think of a comeback to that, Kouji!

_Kouichi:_ You realize that you're insulting me too, right?

_Takuya:_ Sacrifices must be made, Chief.

_Kouichi:_ Okay, I've been putting this off for awhile, but I have to say something now. How did you come up with a nickname like 'Chief' for me, JP?

_JP:_ Well, I was trying to use a shortened version of your name, but all I could come up with was 'coach,' and I didn't think that sounded right. Then I started thinking of names related to coach, and I eventually thought of 'chief' and thought it was perfect!

_Kouichi:_ …I can't believe you gave that much thought to coming up with a nickname.

_JP:_ Hey, I'm the nickname guy. It's what I do.

_Tommy:_ You didn't give me a nickname.

_JP:_ Yes I did. I always call you kid.

_Tommy:_ That's not much of a nickname.

_Takuya:_ It's better than Taki.

_Kira:_ I like the name Taki.

_Takuya:_ I don't mind if you call me that, Kira.

_Kouji:_ The Yankee gets special privileges.

_Kira:_ I am NOT a Yankee! I'm a juvenile delinquent at worst.

_Kouji:_ Whatever, Yankee…

_Kira:_ I'm gonna kick your ass!

_Takuya:_ Wait, let me get a camera!

_Zoe:_ Please start answering reviews now, Madjack.

_madjack89:_ Alright, here I go.

_*break*_

_Megmo8214:_ Thank you very much! I hope that I can get better and better at writing (I've been giving consideration to someday becoming an author). And cookies are awesome! (_Daiki:_ Yay!)

_kyokoaurora:_ Thank you very much! I try my hardest to do well when writing!

_babytigera:_ …I'M SORRY! Are you okay? I know it's not really my fault, but still! I feel bad now, I didn't want to make people feel bad or anything…(and don't feel bad about me feeling bad, because I feel bad for people for the smallest of reasons). Alright…well, in answer to your question, Neji Hyuga is a character in the anime Naruto who is voiced by the same voice actor as Kouji (and he's one of my favorite characters on the show!). Okay, I hope that this chapter is less painful for you. Thanks for reviewing!

_greywindfalcon:_ Um…well…Shino is…I'll explain more about it later. And I'll have to share these cookies and brownies with everyone at the end! Hooray! Thanks!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Yean, fun times! I think these guys definitely make a sucky search party (sigh). Oh well! Thanks for the review!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Okay let's start this chapter! And Kira, don't really beat Kouji up.

_Takuya and Kira:_ Damn it…

—

_"Okay class, we've got a new student today!" said the fifth grade teacher, beckoning in the child standing outside the door. "Please say hello to Kouji Minamoto!"_

_The child walked reluctantly into the room, slightly nervous. _I've been to at least six different schools, and I still get nervous on the first day. Oh well, it's not like I'll be here long, anyway. _He glanced up at the student's expectant faces, fidgeting with the slightly over-sized blue hat sitting on his head._

_"I'm Kouji Minamoto, and I hope that we'll all get along," he said generically. He had already rehearsed this many times before._

_The teacher smiled and whispered, "Don't worry, you'll be fine!"_

_Kouji rolled his eyes. He had been through this routine before. Suddenly, he heard a girl giggle. He scanned the room, finding the girl who looked up at him and began to giggle harder. His eyes narrowed. She was laughing at him! How dare she! _

_"Okay Kouji, why don't you sit in the seat beside Seiko? Seiko, please stand up!"_

_Kouji moaned as the giggling girl stood abruptly, trying to stifle her laughter. Kouji trudged to his seat, sitting down and trying to angle himself away from the giggly Seiko girl. _

_The teacher started a lecture about some boring subject that Kouji had already studied at his last school. His attention began to drift as he thought how unfair his father was. _He just had to go and marry that woman! We were fine on our own. He thinks that I need a mother, but he's wrong! I don't need anyone!

_Kouji felt a tap on his shoulder, breaking him out of his reverie. He turned his head, seeing the giggly girl smiling at him cheerfully. He glared at her. _What is this girl's problem?

_She pushed a piece of paper at him, motioning for him to read it. Kouji unfolded it and read:_

_Hi there, Kouji! My name's Seiko. I hope that we can be friends. You seem really nice and funny! I thought I was going to die of laughter when you rolled your eyes at the teacher like that!_

_Kouji sighed. She was another one of those crazy giggly girls who never leave you alone. And she thought he was funny, which just made it worse. Kouji took out a pen and wrote:_

_Yeah? Well, don't get too comfortable. It won't be long before my dad ships me off to some other school._

_He shoved the piece of paper back at her. A few moments later, she passed the paper back to him. It read:_

_Really? It sounds like you travel a lot. But you don't really want to leave, do you?_

_Kouji's eyes widened in surprise. No one had ever asked him this before. They were usually just curious to know where he'd been. He glanced at Seiko for a moment. She had shoulder length straight, dirty blond hair. Her hazel eyes were focused on the teacher as she paid close attention to the lecture._

_Kouji smirked. _She looks so serious. She must be one of those dim-witted types that try their hardest to get a passing grade and end up failing anyway.

_Kouji looked back down at the paper, considering what to say. Finally, he wrote down a single word._

_No._

—

Kouji smirked, staring at the grave in front of him. He chuckled darkly. "We had some good times, didn't we…Seiko?"

_-They'll be here soon. You know what to do.-_

"Yes," muttered Kouji, smiling. "I'm going to end this. Once and for all!"

—

"Okay Kouichi, concentrate," said Takuya, grasping Kouichi's shoulders.

Kouichi sweatdropped. "Takuya, you're beginning to scare me," he said slowly, trying to get out of Takuya's grip. "I'm pretty sure I don't have freaky twin…whatever you just said."

"Well, we have to try something!" exclaimed Takuya. "Kouji needs our help!"

"I know," Kouichi muttered. "I wish I could help, but…I can't."

"It's okay, Kouichi. We'll find him," said Zoe, putting her arm over Kouichi's shoulders.

"Oh!" exclaimed Daiki suddenly, causing everyone to jump. "You two are going out now, aren't you?" he stated, pointing at Kouichi and Zoe.

Kouichi and Zoe blinked, startled. "Um…yes," said Zoe.

"I knew it!" said Daiki happily.

"What?" exclaimed Takuya. "You two are…what?"

"It'll be okay, Taki," said Kira, patting Takuya's head. "I'll explain it to you later. Good going, Zoe. You too, Chief."

"Congratulations," said Hotaru, smiling briefly. Everyone stared at him.

"Oh my god, we got him to smile," said Zoe, awestruck.

"This day is very confusing," muttered Takuya.

"Let me take over, Taki," said Kira. "Alright guys, let's get back to business. We can't waste any more time with these stupid diversions. Let's just split up. Taki, Chief, and Zoe can go that way, and me, Dai, and Hotaru can go this way," ordered Kira, pointing them in different directions.

With that, Kira and her group left, leaving Takuya, Zoe and Kouichi behind.

"Sounds good," said Zoe. "C'mon guys."

"Alright," huffed Takuya, wondering why he couldn't go with Kira. "C'mon, Chief."

Kouichi began to follow them, and then he heard something that made him pause.

-_Kill them…-_

Kouichi's eyes widened. _What?_

_Yes…I'll end it._

"Kouji…" murmured Kouichi, trembling.

"Chief?" Takuya stopped, staring back at Kouichi.

"Kouichi, are you okay?" asked Zoe.

Kouichi slowly shook his head. "No…Kouji is…we have to hurry!" He began to hurry across the street, beckoning for Zoe and Takuya to follow him. "I know where Kouji is!"

Takuya and Zoe glanced at each other and nodded. Then they followed Kouichi to who knew where.

—

Shino rose slowly to his feet, clutching his arm. "Kouji…why?"

"Shino?" Shino turned to see Kira, Daiki and Hotaru staring at him. "What are you doing in the middle of a garden?" asked Kira.

Shino frowned, glancing around at the dense shrubbery. "He tried to make it so no one would find me…"

"Who?" asked Daiki.

"Kouji," Shino said. "In case you haven't noticed, there's something dark going on inside him."

Kira and Hotaru glanced at each other while Daiki said, "I don't know what you mean, but Kouji's acting weird, so we were trying to find him before something bad happened."

"Something bad has happened," said Shino. "I don't know what either, but I know we have to stop it."

The others stared at him, confused. Shino sighed. "Okay, let me explain…"

—

Kouji sat in front of the grave, watching the sun set. He smiled. "That's ironic. One day ends, and soon, another begins. Once they get here…"

Suddenly, Kouji's eyes got less cloudy. "No," he said, eyes wide with fear. "I won't! I won't be your puppet! And I won't kill them! They're my…" Kouji glanced back at the grave.

_-Your what? Your friends? You are pathetic! Like it or not, I have control here. I don't even have to sweet talk you anymore!-_

"ARGH!" cried Kouji, clutching his head. His head throbbed as images flashed through it. Yelling at his father…going to the Digital World…protecting Takuya from Duskmon's attack…having to fight his brother…watching Kouichi sacrifice himself…watching Seiko…

"NO! ARGH!" Kouji fell completely to the ground, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Why…why does everyone try to protect me…I don't deserve it…I…"

Kouji's eyes clouded again, letting his mind be overtaken again rather than suffer through this torture.

—

_I remember all too well what I first thought of Seiko. I thought she was dimwitted and idiotic. Of course, I never told her that because I didn't want to hurt her. I never wanted her to be hurt, especially not by my own hand…but I guess that was too big a wish._

—

_Kouji sat alone at lunch that day, trying to make it clear to everyone that he wanted to be left alone. Then he felt another tap on his back. He turned and there stood Seiko, grinning stupidly down at him. He frowned. _What, is she stalking me?

_"May I sit with you?" she asked, gesturing to the seat beside him hopefully. _

_He sighed. _If it'll get you off my back…_ "Fine."_

_"Yay!" exclaimed Seiko, plopping down next to him. Kouji stared at her, thinking she was almost graceful and clumsy at the same time._ I guess I can just ignore her,_ he thought, continuing to eat his lunch._

_They sat in silence for a few moments. Then Seiko said, "You know, I'm a pretty shy person too." Kouji glanced up, realizing that she was talking about him._

_He glared at her accusingly. "What makes you think I'm shy? Maybe I just don't want to be around any of you. Maybe I just don't like any of you!"_

_Seiko paused, and then smiled warmly at Kouji. "I think that you're afraid." _

_Kouji flinched. "What do you mean?"_

"_Well…you told me that you wanted to stay. You act like you don't care what happens, one way or another. But really, you don't want to have to move around anymore. You want to stay in one place and call it a home. You want to make friends, but you're scared to have to say goodbye to them. You just don't want anyone to leave."_

_Kouji stared at her, awestruck. She had read his feelings like a book. Seiko looked at him and giggled. "I guess I got it right! But Kouji…please don't be afraid around me. I won't leave you, I promise."_

—

_What an empty promise. I know now that everyone leaves and, as much as I hate to admit it, someday I'll be alone. Seiko got it right. I'm afraid of the loneliness, but the thing I'm most afraid of is hurting the people I care about. Seiko…Kouichi…I'm sorry! I'm sorry…for everything._

—

"Kouji!" Kouji looked up, broken from his thoughts. Before him stood Zoe, Takuya, and Kouichi, all breathing hard as if they had been running.

He smirked. "I underestimated you, brother," he said, saying the last word with malice. He smiled as Kouichi flinched. "You're a lot more perceptive than I thought, oh great warrior of darkness!"

Zoe's eyes narrowed at Kouji. "Why are you taunting him? What has gotten into you, Kouji?"

Kouji chuckled. "That's the million dollar question, isn't it? What HAS gotten into me lately? Maybe my brother can tell you? Oh, that's right; he's too busy with his love life to worry about me!"

Kouichi stepped back. "Kouji…I…I'm…"

"You're sorry, right?" Kouji sneered, taking a step toward Kouichi. "Well, sorry won't fix me, will it?"

"Knock it off, Kouji!" exclaimed Zoe, stepping in front of Kouichi.

Kouji stared at Zoe, smiling. "Well, would you look at this? Kouichi is so pathetic that he can't even hold his own against his twin brother without his girlfriend stepping in to defend him!"

"I said knock it off, Kouji!" yelled Zoe fiercely, fists raised.

Kouji laughed darkly. "You're going to fight me? Ha! Step aside, Zoe, you're blocking the way to my wimpy, pathetic brother!"

"Kouji!" yelled Takuya, pushing past Kouichi and Zoe and grabbing Kouji by the collar. "I could take it if you mocked me, but how dare you mock Kouichi like that! How dare you insinuate that he doesn't care about you? Have you forgotten what he did for us in the Digital World? We would all be dead if it wasn't for him!"

Kouji stared Takuya straight in the eye and murmured, "Put me down right now, or I'll kill you!"

Takuya's eyes widened in shock. Something about the way Kouji said it…something about the look in his eyes told Takuya that Kouji truly would kill him. Takuya slowly lowered Kouji to the ground, arms trembling.

Kouji saw Takuya's fear and laughed. "What happened to that can do attitude of yours, Takuya? I thought that you could face any obstacle, tackle any enemy? What makes me so different?"

Zoe glared at Kouji. "What are you saying, Kouji? You're scaring me…"

"That voice…" muttered Kouichi slowly._ What is this that I'm remembering? Ilsemon…Duskmon…what is this?_

Zoe glanced back. "Kouichi?"

Kouichi stayed fixated on his new memory, not realizing that Zoe had spoken.

Kouji smiled, forgetting about Zoe and Kouichi for the moment. "That's right, Takuya," he whispered, leaning close to Takuya's ear. "I'm betraying you. I am no longer your friend. I've decided that friends are nothing but trouble, so I'm going to end it here!"

Takuya's eyes widened in fear, tears threatening to roll down his cheeks. "You…you're going to…kill me? W-Why?"

Kouji paused, and then chuckled darkly. "Because I hate you!"

—

_madjack89:_ Wow…what a note to end on, huh?

_Kouichi:_ Yeah…

_madjack89:_ But on the bright side, I have the cookies and brownies that greywindfalcon gave us right here!

_Daiki:_ Cookies!_ *begins to gorge on cookies*_

_Takuya and Tommy:_ Sweet!

_Shino:_ Hey, let me have some!

_Takuya:_ Here's a brownie, Kira.

_Kira:_ Thanks, Taki!

_Shino:_ What the hell!

_Kouichi:_ You know you can't win against her, Shino.

_Shino: *sigh*_ I know.

_Zoe:_ These cookies are pretty tasty, huh Hotaru?

_Hotaru:_ Yeah.

_Kouichi:_ Don't you want something, Kouji?

_Kouji:_ I guess…I'm not much for sweets…

_Takuya:_ Um…any reason why JP isn't having anything?

_JP:_ I am going on a diet.

_Everyone: *gasp*_

_madjack89:_ Good for you, JP!

_JP:_ Thank you.

_madjack89:_ Alright, see you in the next exciting capitulo!


	19. Ch 17: Killing in the Name

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 17: Killing in the Name**

_madjack89:_ Hey everyone! This weekend I went to a party at the book store near me for the release of Stephanie Meyer's new novel, _Breaking Dawn_! And once my friend finishes reading it, I'll be able to read it! Hooray!

_Takuya:_ Didn't that come out at, like, midnight? How long did you stay up?

_madjack89:_ Oh, until about 5:30 AM or so.

_Takuya:_ …Wow.

_madjack89:_ Oh, it's not that hard!

_Kouji:_ Speaking of new things, how about you start writing the new chapter!

_madjack89:_ Oh, you're anxious to see what happens, aren't you?

_Kouji:_ A little…

_madjack89:_ Okay Kouji, I'll humor you. Just let me answer the reviews and then I'll begin the chapter.

_*break*_

_babytigera:_ Yay for _Eclipse_! And yay for you getting a ribbon! And just plain yay! I'm glad your luck has changed, too! Oh, and the dark spirit thingamabober is actually going to be an important story element later, so yeah! Thanks for reviewing!

_greywindfalcon:_ Hooray, more food! And just so you won't worry, I'm not planning on killing off Takuya. No need to fear! Okay, so thank you and see ya!

_garnettfox:_ Um…well…kind of, I guess. Sorry! But thanks for reviewing!

_Kayland Elric:_ Just so you know, I'm a dudette (heh heh)! And that's an interesting way to think of it. I didn't even think of that, actually! Thanks for reviewing!

_kyokoaurora:_ Thank you! I try my best!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Okay, time for the new chapter! Hooray!

_Takuya:_ Hooray!

_Kouji:_ Um…hooray?

—

Takuya stood still, trying to process what he had just heard Kouji say. _He…hates me? But…that can't be…he can't…I thought we were…_

"Kouji…I thought…I thought…" Takuya said slowly, unable to turn his eyes toward Kouji. "I thought we were friends…"

Kouji chuckled, this time grabbing Takuya by the shirt collar. "Takuya…you have always been so naïve. You really thought that we were friends? Don't make me laugh!"

He smiled, and then punched Takuya square in the face, letting go of his shirt as he fell backwards.

"Takuya!" cried Zoe, taking a step forward. She hesitated when she realized that if she went to Takuya, she would have to leave the incapacitated Kouichi alone.

Kouji glanced at her and smiled. "And then there was one!"

Zoe eyes widened in alarm. "Kouji…please. You don't really want to…" she struggled with the next word, "…kill us?"

Kouji's eyes narrowed as he reached into his pocket, pulling out his blue and white D-Tector. "You would be surprised."

"I don't think so!" Takuya jumped up suddenly and grabbed Kouji from behind, keeping him from using his D-Tector to Spirit Evolve.

Zoe sighed with relief then frowned when she saw Takuya's expression. Yes, he was acting like his courageous self by doing this, but she could tell that Takuya was just as reluctant and terrified to fight as she was by the way he looked at her.

"Zoe, go," he said. "I'll handle this from here. You just take Kouichi and go." Zoe hesitated. "Just go!" he yelled with more force than he ever had before. "Please," he added softly.

Zoe nodded, taking out her D-Tector and becoming Kazemon. Then she carefully picked up Kouichi and mouthed, "Be careful, Takuya," before flying off into the night.

Kouji smirked. "Now I have you all to myself," he muttered, elbowing Takuya in the ribs. Takuya released Kouji, gripping his chest in pain. Kouji stared at Takuya, glancing back at the grave behind him. "And so it ends," he said, punching Takuya in the gut.

Takuya let out a grunt of pain and fell onto the ground, curling into a ball and trembling. Kouji walked up to him and kicked his arms, trying to force him to get up. "What's the matter? Too chicken to fight me?"

Kouji continued to kick him, chuckling as he did it. Takuya let out little squeals of pain, unable to contain them. "Kouji…" he murmured, tears rolling down his cheeks. "We never…f-fight like t-this. W-why are you d-doing this now? I-I d-don't understand."

Kouji smirked, stopping his assault. "We're rivals. It's what we do." With that Kouji took out his D-Tector, preparing for the killing blow.

He spirit evolved in Lobomon, and then glanced back at Takuya. But Takuya was no longer there. Lobomon glanced left and right, trying to find him.

"Kouji…" He heard his name mumbled and turned around, his face meeting with Agunimon's fist. He fell to the ground, staring at Agunimon in shock then anger.

Agunimon seemed angry too, fists clenched into tight balls and flames flaring from both his arms. His face was averted toward the ground. "I don't know what's gotten into you Kouji…but…"

Agunimon raised his head, glaring straight at Lobomon. "If I have to, I'll kick your ass all over the city until you snap out of it!"

—

"Hm, so what you're saying is that you got some sort of weird freaky mutated arm burn thingy that can track down things like...uh, evil dark spirit thingies or something? And that burn thingy led you straight to pretty boy, who immediately knocked you unconscious and unceremoniously threw you in a bush, so now we have to go kick his ass?" Kira asked Shino.

"Yeah, that's basically the gist of it. What do you think?"

Kira, Daiki and Hotaru stared at him for a few moments. "Well, alrighty then, let's fire that bad boy up!" exclaimed Kira excitedly. "According to you, we don't have all day."

Shino glanced down. "I can't."

The others stared at him, confused. "But didn't you manage it before?" asked Daiki.

"Dai, I'm guessing that he can't just control it of his own free will," said Hotaru.

"You got a point there, Taru-kun," added Kira. Hotaru stared blankly at her.

Kira glanced at him and frowned. "What? You don't like that name? Maybe I should try Hot-san…"

"It's not that," said Hotaru quickly. "I'm just surprised you're giving me a nickname," he mumbled.

Kira smirked. "Taru-kun it is, then."

"Yay, Taru-kun!" exclaimed Daiki happily. Hotaru smiled slightly, in his own little way.

"Will you all just shut up!" Shino yelled suddenly, causing everyone to jump. He slowly calmed down, noticing their startled expressions. "Hotaru's right about me. The fact is, I can't control this, and I'll never be able to. I…I'm just not cut out for this."

Kira chuckled as if Shino had told a joke. "What are you talking about? Did these spirits not choose us for the pristine honor of wielding them in order to restore peace and prosperity throughout not one, but two universes?"

"They picked the wrong guy," muttered Shino dejectedly.

"But you held off Wizardmon that one time," Daiki put in hopefully.

"Yeah, and he beat me and gave me this stupid burn! Don't you see? I can't handle this! I'm not brave or strong or smart or anything useful. I'm just…average."

Hotaru and Kira stared at him piteously. Daiki, however, seemed as if he were concentrating hard on a thought. Suddenly he gasped.

"Maybe Shino just needs more confidence!" said Daiki happily, bouncing up in front of Shino. Shino stared back at him, wide-eyed. He glanced at Hotaru, confused. Hotaru shrugged his shoulders.

"Shino, you just have to believe that you can use your super-duper arm burn powers, and you can!" continued Daiki. "Just concentrate!"

Kira's eyes narrowed. "Okay, that is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard! I mean, come on! All he has to do is 'believe in himself' and he'll magically be able to…"

"Guys! Thank god!" Shino turned and found himself standing right in front of Kazemon's chest region. He blushed and took several strides backwards.

"Wow, you didn't even need to concentrate!" Daiki marveled.

"I don't think that counts, Dai," said Hotaru.

"Zoe, what the hell is going on? Where's Taki and why is Chief unconscious?" asked Kira warily.

Kazemon set Kouichi down on the ground carefully. "I can't tell you much about Kouichi. He just started mumbling about remembering something and then he just kind of fainted." She glanced at Kouichi worriedly.

"But there's something else more important than that," continued Kazemon. "I left Takuya alone with Kouji. There…there's something wrong with him." She shuddered to herself. "I think Takuya's in danger. We have to get back and help him!"

"Pretty boy," growled Kira, pulling out her D-Tector. "You've gone too far." She quickly spirit evolved to Ranamon and ran off in a random direction.

"Um, they're at the temple over in the other direction," said Kazemon to Ranamon, pointing the other way.

She quickly turned and ran in the right direction. "I knew that!" she yelled confidently. "C'mon guys, we haven't got all day!"

"Right," responded Daiki and Hotaru. They spirit evolved and joined her quickly.

Shino glanced at Kazemon and Kouichi, not knowing whether to go or not. "Just go with them," said Kazemon. "I'll stay here with Kouichi," she added, glancing at Kouichi with worry and, as Shino noticed, affection.

Shino turned slowly, not wanting to see any more. "Yeah," he muttered, spirit evolving and dashing through the trees in the direction of the temple. _I can't fight, I can't control this weird power, and now I've even lost her…_

—

Wizardmon kneeled on a tree branch, watching happily as Agunimon and Lobomon began to fight. "Well, that takes care of that," he said satisfactorily.

He jumped in the surprise when he heard a muffled voice coming from his tattered coat. He calmed himself and took his small communication device out, saying, "Everything's going well. Your plan was perfect, as usual."

"Yes," murmured the voice thoughtfully. "But that dark child worries me…"

"What do you mean?" asked Wizardmon in confusion.

"He could give my identity away to the rest of them, which is not desirable to the rest of my plans."

Wizardmon's eyes narrowed. "But you suppressed his memory of everything that happened. He shouldn't be able to remember anything at all about that."

"True, but I underestimated him. And I also did that little test run on him, which might have freed something. I'll have to loosen my grip on our little friend Kouji for awhile to correct this error. Perhaps I'll give him a different memory to preoccupy himself with…"

"And what should I do?" asked Wizardmon quietly, shifting his gaze anxiously.

"Just keep an eye on Kouji for me and make sure no one interferes." The device clicked and began to crackle. Wizardmon placed it back in his coat and sighed.

"I was going to keep an eye out for my pesky sisters, but I suppose I can do both at once." He smirked. "After all, how hard can it be to beat a few legendary warriors?"

—

"Kouji!" Agunimon lunged at Lobomon, knocking him to the ground and pinning his arms down at his sides. Lobomon glared at Agunimon, growling defiantly.

Agunimon closed his eyes tightly shut. "Kouji, I don't want to have to do this," he said gruffly, "but I will if I have to!"

He raised his arm quickly, balling it into a fist as flames shot from his gauntlet. "Pyro Pu-" He stopped abruptly as Lobomon slashed him across the chest with his…um…Light Saber? (_Kouji:_ You suck!) Okay, Light Kendo.

Lobomon smirked as Agunimon staggered back a few paces, clutching his chest in shock. Lobomon rose to his feet and stood above Agunimon, Light Saber raised. (_Kouji:_ Stop it already!)

"Now you know that I meant what I said. I'm gonna kill you, Takuya, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Agunimon rose slowly to his feet, trembling in pain. "So that's it, huh? All that time we spent together in the Digital World…all the things we've been through…all the people we've saved…that means absolutely nothing to you now?"

"That's what I just said," Lobomon snapped impatiently.

Agunimon's head suddenly shot up, eyes pointing in Lobomon's direction. "Well I say that's bull!" Agunimon yelled, taking Lobomon by surprise. "I know that Kouji Minamoto is definitely not like that! Despite his crappy attitude…despite his loner tendencies…even despite his constant teasing…I know that he would never betray his friends willingly. He'd die before he let that happen."

Lobomon's eyes widened as recognition crossed his features. "Takuya…"

"So I don't know who you are," continued Agunimon, not noticing Lobomon, "but you are definitely not Kouji Minamoto!"

Lobomon smiled weakly. "You always talk too much, gogglehead," he muttered good-naturedly.

Agunimon stared at Lobomon. "Kouji?" he whispered excitedly. Lobomon didn't say anything, staring back at Agunimon in horror.

"I…I hurt you…" he said softly, looking at Agunimon's wounds, particularly his chest.

Agunimon grinned happily. "Kouji!" he cried, racing up to him. "What happened? Are you okay? Oh man, Kouji, for a second there I thought you were serious!"

Lobomon raised his hand shakily. "Takuya…I could have…" He shuddered, not wanting to finish the sentence.

Agunimon smiled reassuringly. "It's okay, Kouji. I'm fine. See?" Agunimon tried to do a three-sixty turn but stopped halfway, clutching his chest. "Well, maybe that hurts a little bit…"

"Takuya," Lobomon began, lowering his arms slowly. He turned to face Agunimon, a sad but determined expression on his face. He stared at Agunimon and said two simple words.

"Kill me."

—

Arbormon dashed through the park, staying close to the trees, though it was at least midnight by now and no one was there. He didn't feel like taking chances tonight. He didn't know what he felt like doing anymore. Should he even be doing this anymore? What was the point?

_I just don't know anymore,_ he thought, shaking his head. His feet continued to carry him to his destination, independent of his will.

He broke through the cover of the trees and almost tripped over an object on the ground. He squinted at it, and his eyes widened. Kira lay on the ground in front of him, badly bruised and beaten.

"Kira!" Arbormon exclaimed, crouching down. "Who did this? Where are Daiki and Hotaru?"

"Dai," muttered a weak voice. Arbormon turned to see Daiki and Hotaru lying a few feet away, Hotaru looking worse for ware than the other two, and unconscious.

Arbormon turned back to Kira. "What happened?"

"It was…Wizardmon," said Kira painfully, trying to get into a sitting position. "When we got close to the temple…he just came out of nowhere…and attacked us."

Arbormon stood slowly, realization coming to him. "I have to go ahead alone and face him."

"No!" cried Kira and Daiki fearfully.

"Shino, I'm serious here, he will not hesitate to kill you. We only got out of there alive because of Taru-kun, and look what happened to him!" said Kira quickly. "Please don't go!"

"I know that I can't win," said Arbormon, clenching his fists. "But I can at least provide a distraction long enough for Zoe and Kouichi to catch up." He said Kouichi's name with malice, not trying to hide his resentment anymore.

He turned quickly and continued toward the temple. His friends' cries grew softer and softer as he dodged through the wilderness, rushing to death. A tear escaped his eye. _I'm done for._

—

Wizardmon stood near the entrance to the temple, still tingling from his last battle. "C'mon, I know there are still more of you," he muttered excitedly, itching for another fight. "I haven't had fights like this in awhile now. I need something more!"

"How bout this?" Wizardmon looked up just as a large blue and yellow fist slammed into the ground where he had just been.

Beetlemon growled in agitation. "Damn it, I missed."

"You just love delivering the nick of time saves, don't you?" asked Wizardmon playfully, raising his wand defensively.

Beetlemon smirked. "Well, someone's gotta do it."

They were just about to lunge for each other when they heard a thump coming from the trees. They glanced over to see Arbormon kneeling on the ground, clutching his arm in pain as it glowed.

Wizardmon's eyes narrowed. "I'd forgotten about that little mishap. But I remember now. I marked you, so now you can track me."

Beetlemon stared at Arbormon. "He can…what?"

"He can track me," repeated Wizardmon, glaring at Arbormon with malice. "But he can't even control it yet, so I suppose it isn't a huge threat, anyway. Kind of pathetic, really."

"Just shut up!" yelled Beetlemon, raising his fists angrily.

"He's right." Beetlemon turned to see Arbormon looking at them sadly. "I really am pathetic, JP. I can't do anything right. And I don't deserve this power." He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "JP…tell Zoe that I really did like her, even loved her."

His eyes rested on Wizardmon. "I'm ready," he said quietly.

Wizardmon chuckled. "If that's the way you want it." He raced forward, pointing his wand directly at Arbormon. "Magical Game!" he cried, wand glowing with a ball of flame.

"No!" exclaimed Beetlemon.

Arbormon closed his eyes, preparing for the pain.

"Arrrrrggggghhhhhhh!"

—

_madjack89:_ Dang, it took me a whole week to finish this chapter! I wrote that introduction on Monday, and I still haven't read that book! Grrrr!

_Daiki:_ I'll be okay. Be happy!

_madjack89:_ You're right, Dai! I feel better now!

_Daiki:_ Yay!

_Tommy:_ Jeez, he's more innocent than me!

_Takuya:_ You are shooting up like a sprout, buddy.

_Kouji:_ Soon you'll be five inches taller than Daiki.

_Daiki:_ Dai!

_madjack89:_ Well anyway, lately I've been listening to music while I'm writing this, and today I listened to "The Feel Good Drag" by Anberlin while writing Shino's little monologue, and you know what? The song reminded me of him!

_Shino:_ How?

_madjack89:_ Oh, come on! Just look at the lyrics! 'This was over before it ever began'? 'I'm tired of who I am'? 'You were my greatest mistake'? 'I fell in love with your sin'?

_Shino:_ Um, sure, I guess.

_Takuya:_ What do you listen to when you write my stuff?

_madjack89:_ For some reason I associate you with Green Day.

_Takuya:_ Oh…um, why?

_madjack89:_ Because I am the author!

_Takuya and Shino:_ …

_madjack89:_ Okay, see you later, everybody!


	20. Ch 18: Title too long to put here

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 18: The Beast Spirit, the Witch, and the Dark Area**

_madjack89:_ Hi everyone! Ready for the pulse pounding, heart stopping eighteenth chapter of F2HF?

_Takuya:_ Yes!

_Kira:_ Hell yeah!

_Kouji:_ Duh!

_Kouichi:_ Uh…yeah.

_madjack89:_ Well good for you! I'm all excited about writing this part. I've had this in mind for awhile now, and I finally get to write it all down! Hooray!

_Kouji:_ Wait, you mean from the very beginning you were planning on doing this to me?

_madjack89:_ Yupers!

_Kouji:_ What the hell!

_Takuya:_ Buddy, she's doing stuff to all of us. She just happens to be doing more to you.

_Kouji:_ This sucks…

_madjack89:_ I'll try to make it less suckish for you later, Kouji. Alrighty, let's see what those reviews say!

_*break*_

_hazeleyedharmony:_ Sorry about the suspense. I like doing suspenseful endings, for some reason! Thanks for the complimenting and I definitely can't wait till I read _Breaking Dawn_! Woohoo! Thanks again!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Sorry, but…I can't tell you up here. This is starting to sound monotonous, but read on to find out what happens (sorry)! Um…yay Light Sabers! And yay for author power! Thanks!

_Kayland Elric:_ Heh heh, Kouji's at everyone's mercy! (_Kouji:_ Dang it…) And I thought the story was getting a little serious, so the Light Saber jokes had to be used to lighten the mood. Thanks for the compliments and reviews!

_kyokoaurora:_ Yes, suspenseful. Ah, suspense…hee hee! Thanks for reviewing!

_babytigera: _I'm sorry it took me so long with the chapter, but things were happening and I couldn't seem to get it finished. And I actually didn't purchase _Breaking Dawn_ (my friend did). So I really do have to wait until she's done. But whatever! I can be patient! Okay, thank you very much!

_greywindfalcon:_ I'm sorry that it took so long! I had stuff I had to do, so yeah! And I don't plan on killing any off the mainies anytime soon…whether I do in the future depends on my mood (ha ha ha)! Well, don't be too hard on Wizardmon, because it's not all his fault…and thank you for reviewing!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Okie-dokie, let's get started!

—

Agunimon stared at Lobomon, confused. "Quit kidding around, buddy," he said, trying to force a smile. "Why would I do that?"

Lobomon glared at him. "Aren't you the one that said you'd kick my ass across the city? Well, now's your chance. Kill me."

"No," muttered Agunimon, shaking with rage. "No! I won't do that, Kouji! I don't care what's happened to you! As long you're still there, I will do anything in my power to help you. But I WON'T kill you!"

Lobomon's eyes widened. He frowned in anger. "You don't understand, Takuya. There is something in my head, controlling me. You'd be doing me a favor by killing me."

"You son of a bitch!" cried Agunimon, shoving Lobomon. "Why are you being so damn morbid? It's not the end of the freaking world! All we'd have to do is find some way to get that thing out of your head! We could purify it, or something!"

"Takuya," Lobomon muttered, looking sad. "I'm sorry that I'm asking you to do this. I know I'd never be able to do it. But you have to! I don't think there is any way to work this out. This thing is too damn powerful! It took complete control of me!"

Agunimon paused. "Well yeah, but…it isn't controlling you now, right? So that means there has to be a way…"

Lobomon shook his head slowly. "It loosened its grip on its own. I didn't…no, I couldn't do anything." He stared at Agunimon anxiously. "Please, Takuya," he pleaded. "I don't want to become a monster."

Agunimon closed his eyes slowly. "I'm sorry, Kouji, but I won't do this." He was engulfed in data for a moment, and then Takuya stood before Lobomon.

"Fine," said Lobomon, stepping back a few paces. "I'll just have to do this myself." He raised his Light Saber (_Kouji:_ I give up…) to his neck, ready to plunge it into himself.

Takuya's eyes widened in alarm. "Kouji, calm down! You don't have to do this! There has to be another way!" He took a few steps forward. "Just put it down Kouji."

Lobomon smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Takuya. Tell everyone else I'm sorry, too. And please let Kouichi know that this wasn't his fault." He glanced down the line of graves to one in particular. "At least I'll get to see you again, Seiko."

His hands gripped the weapon, ready to end his life. "Kouji, please! Just stop this! You can't really think this is the only way!" Tears formed in Takuya's eyes. "Please," he muttered, beginning to sob. "What will we do without you?"

Lobomon paused. "You'll get by…" he said softly, preparing to finish it. Suddenly his eyes widened in shock.

_-I'm back, Kouji.-_

He dropped his weapon, staggering forward slightly. "You…" he muttered angrily.

Takuya stared at Lobomon with relief and worry. "Kouji…are you…" His eyes widened in understanding. "It's back."

Lobomon fell to the ground before Takuya, clutching his head in pain. He was in so much pain that he turned back to his human form, writhing in agony.

"Kouji!" Takuya knelt beside Kouji, looking around helplessly. "What do I do?"

"Seiko…" Kouji muttered.

"Seiko…?" Takuya said in recognition. "You said that name before." Takuya gripped Kouji's hand firmly. "Kouji! Who is Seiko?"

—

_~A moment earlier…_

Kouichi's eyes opened blearily. He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He looked around for a moment, and then he yelped in panic. "No…" he said softly, shakily but hastily getting to his feet. "I'm in…"

Kouichi did a quick three-sixty, realizing that he was in the one place that he feared above all else; the Dark Area. He shivered, remembering the last time he was here.

"What am I doing here? Am I…?" He shook his head, not wanting to finish the sentence.

_-Kouichi…-_

He turned at the sound of the voice, finding that no one was there. He blinked, eyes narrowing. "Why does this seem familiar?" he asked himself.

_-Poor child…shunned by your own father…abandoned, really.-_

"What is it?" Kouichi closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on the memory, no matter how much pain it caused him.

_-And what of your mother? Left with no one but another mouth to feed…her other child ripped from her, without him even knowing she is still alive.-_

This voice seemed to be coming from all directions, hitting Kouichi where it hurt the most. Suddenly he remembered what it was about this that was so familiar. This HAD happened before.

_It was never Cherubimon that gave me Duskmon's spirit._ He slowly turned, ready to face the real culprit. _It was…_

"No no no, Kouichi. I don't need you remembering this just yet."

He quickly turned on his heel to see who had spoken. Before he caught a glimpse of the person, however, a hand was placed in front of his eyes. There was a blinding flash of light, and the next thing Kouichi knew, he was sitting in the middle of a sidewalk, watching people go by.

_Am I…dreaming?_ He slowly got up, not remembering what it was that he had been trying to remember in the first place.

"Kouji, you're so cute!" Kouichi jumped. He turned to find the source of the voice, a girl standing a few feet away from him, smiling at a boy…

"Kouji?" Kouichi recognized a slightly younger version of his brother standing beside the blond girl, actually blushing in embarrassment. Kouichi had to stifle a laugh.

"Yeah, but that's probably just because of this bandana you gave me," said the younger Kouji, gesturing to his blue and brown bandana. "It manages to keep my hair out of my eyes, at least."

The girl giggled. "Kouji, you're really stubborn, you know that?" She spread out her arms. "It's you're birthday, but all you want to do is get a simple cake and leave it at that. You don't even want a party!"

The girl slumped over, seemingly disappointed. Kouichi gaped as Kouji actually put his arm reassuringly over her shoulder, smiling. _Who is this girl?_

"That's just the way I am. You know that." Kouji looked up as the crosswalk light turned green. "And I really don't need anything else but you." The girl blushed.

Kouichi's eyes widened in shock. He had never seen Kouji this laid back with anyone. Not even him. And he seemed to like her…

"Well, come on, then! We're not getting any younger!" The younger Kouji stepped out onto the crosswalk, gesturing for the girl to follow. The girl smiled happily when suddenly, she glanced to her right and gasped.

Kouichi looked right as well and immediately saw what had frightened her. Speeding right toward Kouji was a large red truck, seemingly oblivious to the stop light ahead.

What happened next seemed as if it were going in slow motion to Kouichi.

"Kouji, look out!" screamed the girl. Kouji's head turned sharply, eyes widening when he saw the truck coming straight toward him. He seemed to be frozen in panic, unable to get out of the way.

Kouichi took a step forward, but before he got anywhere near Kouji, the girl lunged onto the street, quickly shoving Kouji out of the truck's path.

Kouichi stared in horror as the truck sped forward in a blur, smashing right into the girl.

"Seiko!"

Kouichi's eyes shot open. Above him, he could see the clear night sky. His breathing slowed as he realized that it had all been a dream. But it was definitely more than a dream to Kouji.

He glanced to his left, seeing Zoe slumped against a tree, asleep. He jumped in surprise when he realized that he was resting on her lap.

Zoe stirred as Kouichi sat up, trying to hide how much he was blushing. She rubbed her eyes, smiling. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Kouichi. After all, I'm the one that put you on my lap after you fainted. I guess I dozed off."

Kouichi stared at her blankly. "How long have I been out?"

Zoe looked up. "I'd say about…four hours?"

"Oh," said Kouichi. "Um…what happened after I…"

"After you fainted?" asked Zoe, finishing Kouichi's sentence.

Kouichi nodded. "Sorry," he murmured apologetically.

Zoe scooted closer to Kouichi, ruffling his hair playfully. "It's okay," she said. Her expression turned quickly somber. "But…after you passed out, Kouji…Kouji said he wanted to…kill us…"

She cringed at Kouichi's pained, horror-struck expression. "Then I was right…" he muttered to himself.

"What?" asked Zoe.

"Where's Takuya?" asked Kouichi with a start, realizing that no one else was with them.

"Well…" began Zoe anxiously. "He told me to leave with you…he said he would handle Kouji…but I sent Kira, Daiki, Hotaru, and Shino after them awhile ago."

Kouichi stood up quickly. "We have to get back to that temple right now!" he said firmly, grabbing Zoe's hand.

As soon as she was on her feet he took off, dragging her along with him. "Kouichi wait!" cried Zoe. "Why did you faint in the first place? You were muttering something about remembering and then…"

Kouichi glanced back at her, confused. "Remembering? I don't think I was trying to remember anything."

Zoe stared at him worriedly. _Then what did you say that for?_

—

Arbormon opened his eyes, realizing that Wizardmon hadn't hit him with his attack. Before him stood Beetlemon, sinking to his knees as his data showed.

"JP…why?" Arbormon looked at Beetlemon, horror crossing his face.

Beetlemon chuckled, glancing over his shoulder. "So you love her too, huh? Well, I can't say I didn't have my suspicions." He paused, giving Arbormon a genuine smile. "But you're still my friend, and in this group, friends help friends."

Wizardmon stared at them, anger showing plainly on his face. "What do I have to do to get rid of you little goody-goodies? Every time I try to attack one of you, someone else has to get in the way. Well, you know what? I'm sick of it!"

He raised his wand, generating a large spark of electricity onto the tip of his wand. Wizardmon glared at Beetlemon and Arbormon. "I'll just have to aim for the both of you!" He raised his wand and launched the ball of electricity at them, not bothering with an incantation.

Shino felt an intense pain, and then nothing. He opened his eyes, realizing that he was floating in some sort of bright, empty space. He blinked, shielding his eyes from the intensity of the bright light.

When his eyes adjusted, he noticed that there was a figure floating in front of him, waiting patiently for him to adjust his sight. He realized with a start that the figure was Arbormon, crossing his arms in front of him.

Shino blinked twice, saying, "Um…hello?"

"Shino," Arbormon began in a voice very similar to Shino's, "I'm a bit disappointed in you."

Shino hung his head. "A lot of people are."

"There you go again!" Shino jumped at Arbormon's derogatory tone. "You always think that you're not good enough for anything!" Arbormon's tone softened as he continued. "Shino, I know that this is challenging, and I know that the challenges are only increasing over time, but you have to believe a little more in yourself. Show some initiative."

Shino looked at Arbormon hopefully. "So you don't think I'm just…average?"

Arbormon chuckled. "Shino, if you were any more special, you'd be Spider Man." He stared at Shino with a determined expression. "Now, I have a way for us to beat Wizardmon, but I need you to believe in yourself and concentrate on what we have to do. Understand?"

Shino smiled crookedly and nodded. "Sure," he said. "I'm ready."

Shino felt himself being pulled up as if out of water, and then he blinked a few times, feeling pain in every limb of his body. He glanced to the right, seeing JP unconscious a few feet away. Wizardmon stood next to him, preparing to scan his data.

"Oh no you flippin don't!" yelled Shino, jumping painfully to his feet. Wizardmon turned, trembling with rage.

"I…have…had…it…with…you!" growled Wizardmon, enunciating each word.

_He's lost it. Be careful. _Shino heard Arbormon's warning in his head.

_I know,_ he thought back. _So where's that way of beating him?_

Arbormon chuckled._ Just look at your D-Tector._

Shino glanced at his D-Tector, seeing a new spirit showing in the little screen. "Is this…a beast spirit?"

_Yes, Shino. Now is the time for you to use it._

Shino took a deep breath, relaxing his injured body. "Okay, I'm ready." He opened his eyes, a new sort of data coming from his hand. "Beast Spirit Evolution," he muttered, engulfing himself in data.

Wizardmon glared at Shino as he began to grow, turning into the legendary beast warrior of wood, Petaldramon. He opened his eyes, staring down at Wizardmon confidently. "Well, this seems to put the odds in my favor, doesn't it?"

"Oh, crap," said Wizardmon.

—

"Kouji, who is Seiko?" Takuya repeated the question, trying to keep Kouji's mind on other things.

Kouji's eyes opened slightly, staring at Takuya. He raised his hand slowly, shakily pointing at one of the graves.

"She's…there," he croaked, wincing in pain.

Takuya looked over at the grave. "I'll be right back," he told Kouji, getting up slowly.

Kouji looked back at him pleadingly. "Please come back," he muttered painfully, tears forming in his eyes.

Takuya looked away sharply, hating to see Kouji so helpless. Kouji had always been the cool-headed, confident person in the group. He always kept his head and could think of a plan in the hairiest of situations. And he always managed to keep Takuya grounded. Takuya just couldn't stand to see his friend in this much pain without being able to do anything about it.

He stood in front of the grave Kouji had indicated, seeing a picture of a cheerful-looking blond girl. According to the dates on the grave, she had been only ten when she died. Takuya realized that she would be about his age if she were still alive.

Takuya also realized that the date the girl had died, February 24, was also the date of Kouji and Kouichi's birthday.

"Takuya!" Takuya looked up as Kouji called his name in distress.

"Gatomon?" he said, recognizing the little cat Digimon kneeling beside Kouji. The other Digimon he didn't recognize…

The other Digimon turned, smiling at Takuya. "Don't worry, kid, I'm one of the good guys," she said, making a peace sign. "Name's Witchmon. Nice to meet ya."

—

_madjack89:_ Well, not much to say about this chapter except that this is getting exciting!

_Kouji:_ You're making me sound pathetic!

_Takuya:_ Maybe that's because you are.

_Kouji: *punches Takuya*_

_Takuya:_ Damn it!

_Kira:_ You kind of asked for that one, Taki.

_Zoe:_ He'll never learn.

_Kouichi:_ Nope.

_Shino:_ Yay, I'm finally getting credit!

_madjack89:_ Yes, all four of your characters are finally developing! That makes me excited! Now you guys can fully integrate into the group!

_Shino, Daiki, and Kira:_ Hooray!

_Hotaru:_ …Hooray.

_Tommy:_ Why aren't I in this chapter?

_madjack89:_ Don't worry, Tommy. You'll get to be in the next chapter arch more.

_Tommy:_ Hooray!

_madjack89:_ Well, see you later, everybody! Remember, your reviews keep me going!


	21. Ch 19: Gatomon's Secret

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 19: Gatomon's Secret**

_madjack89:_ HI PEOPLE!

_Kouji:_ You've had too much sugar! Go away!

_madjack89:_ No Kouji, I'm not hyper, I'm just excited to be writing the next awesome chapter of my fan fic!

_Kouji:_ Well yippee for you.

_Shino:_ I for one am excited about this new chapter.

_Kouji:_ You're just happy because you're getting character development.

_Shino:_ Well…yeah!

_Kouji: *sigh*_

_madjack89:_ Hey, before I answer reviews, I have a question for JP.

_JP:_ And that would be?

_madjack89:_ Why are all of your attacks lightning based, yet you are the warrior of thunder?

_JP:_ Because thunder and lightning go together.

_Takuya:_ Actually, she's got a point. Lightning and thunder are two separate things.

_JP:_ But…!

_Kouichi:_ Guys, this is simple to figure out. Which sounds better: warrior of thunder or warrior of lightning?

_Takuya and JP:_ Oh…

_Daiki:_ You sure are smart, Chief!

_Kouichi:_ Well, I do try to use my brain.

_Takuya and JP:_ Hey!

_Kouji:_ Nice.

_madjack89:_ Okay guys, it's time for reviews.

_*break*_

_greywindfalcon: _I don't know what it is with the peace sign, but it seemed appropriate for the moment. Though it does happen a lot in Pokemon… (_Everyone:_ grrrrr…) Anyway, I actually have more plans for our little pal Wizardmon, so don't stick pins up anonymous places just yet! Thanks for reviewing!

_hazeleyedharmony:_ I'm glad the suspense isn't killing you, since this chapter took so long (sorry)! Thanks for your review!

_GoldenDragon326: _It's okay if you have nothing to discuss. I'm just glad you still like my story! Thank you very much for sticking with me and reviewing!

_Kayland Elric:_ Now I feel kind of bad about torturing Kouji…but I'll get over it! (_Kouji:_ You bitch!) Well that wasn't very nice! (_Kouji: _Humph!) Thanks for your review! (_Tommy:_ Thanks, Kayland!)

_babytigera:_ I'm glad you noticed that I finally put a beast spirit in there! I remember you said you wanted some other spirits in the story, so this was partially for you! Hooray! And for the record, I came up with this idea before I ever saw Digimon Savers (or Data Squad. Whatever floats your boat). So I technically didn't copy it (don't sue me)! Thanks for telling me Marcus's jap name! And thanks for reviewing!

_kyokoaurora: _I know! Kouji can be so cute sometimes (hee hee)! Yay truffles! Thanks for your review!

_garnettfox:_ Hm…that's a good point. And that's a good song too! Thanks for reviewing!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Alright, time for chapter nineteen! Hooray!

—

"Witch…mon?" Takuya stared at the Digimon before him. "So, you're like a female Wizardmon?"

Witchmon was suddenly in front of Takuya, glaring at him angrily. "Don't you ever compare me to that wanna-be brother of mine EVER AGAIN!"

Takuya hastily shook his head yes. Witchmon smiled sweetly as if nothing had happened. "Good!" she said happily. "Now let's see what we can do about your friend over here."

Takuya followed Witchmon back to Kouji, crouching down beside Gatomon. He glanced at her, noticing she looked guilty. _Why would she be guilty?_ he thought suspiciously.

Witchmon looked Kouji up and down for several seconds. "I believe that this boy is in severe pain!" she said triumphantly.

Takuya and Kouji both stared at her in disbelief. "What gave you that idea, genius?" Kouji muttered weakly, trying to be sarcastic.

"Yeah, we had already figured that out," Takuya added.

Witchmon ignored them and began taking things out of her coat. "Here it is!" she cried, finding the object she needed.

In her hands was a bottle filled with a clear, bubbly liquid that looked almost like Sprite. Witchmon took the cap off the bottle and lowered it down to Kouji. "Alrighty kid, bottoms up!"

Kouji looked at the bottle warily. He shakily reached for it then hesitated.

"It's okay, Kouji." Takuya turned to see Gatomon smiling sincerely at Kouji, speaking up for the first time. "I wouldn't have brought Witchmon if I didn't have complete trust in her. After all, she is my sister."

Takuya's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean, you two…you two are…"

"Sisters, yes," confirmed Witchmon. "Though I don't have full trust in you, Gatomon," she added in a whisper that only Takuya seemed to catch. His eyes narrowed slowly. _Gatomon…_

"Argh!" Takuya was broken out of his thoughts by Kouji's scream of pain. He stared helplessly at Kouji as he writhed in pain.

His head turned to Witchmon. "Well, go ahead!" he yelled slightly hysterically.

"Now calm down, Takuya," replied Witchmon calmly, using his name for the first time. "All we have to do is get someone to hold him still while I get him to swallow this." She held up the bottle. "Would you like to do the honors, kid?"

Takuya nodded immediately. "Of course!" He quickly got behind Kouji's head, carefully grasping his arms in a firm grip. Then he slowly brought Kouji into an almost-sitting position.

Kouji relaxed slightly, and Takuya thought he saw his eyes growing hazy. "Hurry up!" he said urgently.

"Okay, Mr. Kouji Minamoto, get ready for the worst thing you've ever tasted," said Witchmon, chuckling as she slowly poured the liquid into Kouji's mouth.

Everything was still for a moment as Takuya, Gatomon, and Witchmon stared at Kouji anxiously. Kouji's eyes opened slowly, and he coughed. He glanced at Witchmon, smiling slightly. "That was terrible, but I think it did the job."

Witchmon smiled back at him. "Told you."

Takuya breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Thank god," he muttered happily.

"I'm glad," said Gatomon. Takuya glanced at her, noticing that she still looked guilty. His fists clenched and unclenched for a moment, thinking of what she would be guilty about.

Kouji stared at his hands, horror clear on his face. "What have I done," he muttered, glancing at Takuya's wounded chest.

Takuya saw Kouji staring and glanced at his chest as well, realizing that his shirt had been slashed, dried blood soaked into his clothes. "Crap," he muttered, seeing the big slash Kouji's attack had left. "I liked this shirt, too."

"It wasn't that nice a shirt. I'd say this kid did you a favor," said Witchmon, chuckling good-naturedly.

Takuya grinned back. "So says you, Miss Tattered Cloak." Witchmon glared at him for a second, then began to laugh harder. Takuya joined in the laughter as well, forgetting his wound for a moment.

"I'm sorry." Takuya stopped when he heard Kouji's apology. He smiled at his depressed-looking friend.

"No problem, Kouji," he replied softly. "You didn't mean it."

Kouji looked at Takuya, fear glinting off the tears in his eyes. "But I did mean it, Takuya. Despite being controlled, I knew completely what I was doing. I set off this mess in the first place…and that scares me."

"ARGHHH!" Takuya, Kouji, and the two Digimon looked up suddenly as an earsplitting cry pierced the night. They all paused and rose slowly, tensing for whatever had made that noise. Or whatever had attacked the thing that made the noise.

They heard a rustling in the bushes and a moment later Wizardmon stumbled into their midst, looking severely wounded. His eyes narrowed when he saw them, and then he fell in a heap.

"Um, take that?" said Takuya, cocking his head in confusion.

Suddenly Shino burst through the bushes. "Alright, where'd he go?" he said before noticing Wizardmon lying at his feet. He smiled happily. "I guess that takes care of that!" he exclaimed.

"Oh goody, it's my brother," muttered Witchmon, rolling her eyes.

Shino jumped, realizing that he wasn't alone. His eyes scanned the group and fell on Kouji. He tensed slightly, eyes narrowing.

Kouji flinched, stepping back. Takuya got in front of Kouji, waving his arms at Shino. "It's okay, Shino! He's okay! We took care of it!"

Shino glanced at Witchmon. "You mean this Digimon…?"

Witchmon bowed at Shino sarcastically. "Witchmon at your service, my liege."

Shino blinked at Witchmon in confusion. "Liege?"

"Yup! Anyone that kicks the crap out of my brother is a liege o' mine!" she said excitedly, gesturing to Wizardmon.

Shino looked at Witchmon quizzically. "Okay, clueless kid needs someone to explain," he said, pointing at himself.

Before anyone could answer, they heard another shriek coming from the same direction as before. Then they heard a grunt and a thump.

"Jeez, if it isn't one thing with you guys, it's another…" muttered Witchmon, following Takuya, Kouji, and Shino back through the bushes. Gatomon stayed behind, staring at Wizardmon warily.

She slowly walked up to him, placing a paw on his coat. She squeaked in surprise when Wizardmon's hand slapped her paw away. She looked at Wizardmon's face, seeing that he was glaring at her.

"Traitor," he murmured painfully. Gatomon winced at the betrayal that showed in his eyes.

"Why do you have to make me choose between you and Witchmon?" she muttered, a tear forming in her eye. Wizardmon quickly reached up and brushed it away.

Gatomon's eyes widened in hopeful surprise. Wizardmon withdrew his hand, angry expression returning. "Don't act like you care about me now. I know where your loyalties lie…"

"I may have been on Ilsemon's side before, but," Gatomon paused, gauging Wizardmon's hope-filled expression. "But now I see the evil she causes. She is not the best hope for the Digital World. Why can't you see that for yourself?"

Wizardmon glanced behind Gatomon and smiled. "Witchmon's gotten to you, hasn't she? What happened to all that time you spent carrying out Ilsemon's orders? All the Digimon you killed in her name? You wouldn't even have met these kids if you hadn't been spying on them for Ilsemon!"

"I knew it!" Gatomon turned sharply to see Takuya, Shino, and Witchmon standing not far from them, Takuya glaring at her.

"Is it true, Gatomon? You really…" Shino paused, glancing away from her. "You betrayed us."

"Yeah she did," said Witchmon, shaking her head. "Though she did ask for my help with your friend. And she stopped leaking information after awhile."

Takuya took a step forward. "But she still did it! Urgh…I can't believe we trusted you! You spied on us. You betrayed us to our enemy. And look at what happened to Kouji because of you!"

Gatomon's paws clenched and unclenched. "I'm sorry," she murmured almost inaudibly.

"Yeah, well sorry won't fix what you've done!" Takuya paused as Witchmon put a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head slowly.

Takuya calmed down slightly. "Well, the least you can do is tell us who this Ilsemon is so we'll be ready for her."

"No! You can't!" yelled Wizardmon urgently, getting up slowly despite his injuries. He glared at Gatomon's guilty face. "If you do that, I swear that I will unleash an attack that will kill us all, right here, right now."

Everyone jumped in surprise, looking at Wizardmon warily. "Wizardmon, this is madness!" cried Witchmon, looking worried for the first time.

Wizardmon chuckled slowly. "Unlike Gatomon, I'm loyal to Ilsemon, and she doesn't want you knowing about her just yet." Wizardmon leaped forward, grabbing Gatomon around the neck and preparing to leave. "Oh, and by the way, I know you were waiting for me to say this, so here I go. Madness? This is Sparta!"

With that, Wizardmon and Gatomon disappeared without a trace. The other three stared at the spot for a moment. "Wizardmon…" grumbled Takuya and Shino together.

"Oh, a 300 joke. THAT'S never been used before, Wizardmon," said Witchmon sarcastically.

"Guys, what the hell are you doing?" Kouichi suddenly burst through the bushes, followed by Kouji, whose arm he had in a death grip.

Takuya and Shino stared at him quizzically. "Um, what do you mean, Chief?" asked Takuya.

"What do you mean, what do I mean?" yelled Kouichi angrily, pointing an accusing finger at Takuya. "Look, I know you don't like Gatomon, but that doesn't mean you can just stand there and let her get kidnapped!"

"I believe the phrase is cat-napped," said Witchmon.

"Kouichi, I think you're cutting off Kouji's blood circulation to his hand," added Shino, pointing at Kouji's fingers, which were turning blue.

"It's fine," muttered Kouji, wiggling his fingers half-heartedly.

"Kouichi, you apparently didn't hear the entire conversation," said Takuya. "I don't really want to be the bearer of bad news, but she's not who we thought she was."

Kouichi cocked his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that she was a spy all along! This entire time, she's been plotting against us! It's because of her that all of this happened with Kouji!" Takuya took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Look, I know that you were friends with her and everything, but it was all an act. I'm sorry, Chief."

Kouichi paused before responding, and then sighed. "I guess that shows that you can't trust everyone," he said, quickly glancing at Witchmon.

Witchmon blinked and smiled. "I suppose so," she said.

"Okay, so where are Zoe and JP?" Shino asked Kouichi, empathizing Zoe's name.

"They went to go see how Kira, Daiki, and Hotaru are doing," he replied, oblivious to Shino's jealous glare.

Takuya chuckled slightly. "I still can't believe you actually tripped over JP, Chief. I mean, how did you not see him?"

Kouichi blushed in embarrassment. "Well, I wasn't really paying attention to what was on the ground in front of me…"

"Oh crap!" Shino suddenly exclaimed.

"What? Here? Jeez, people can't clean up after their pets even in a freakin temple…" said Takuya, shaking his head.

Everyone paused for a second. "Kouji, I think that's your cue to say 'you idiot' or something like that," said Shino.

Kouji shrugged. "God, you're turning into Hotaru!" cried Takuya

Kouichi glanced at Kouji. "Kouji…?" he murmured, worry creasing his face.

"Um, guys, if you were wondering why I said oh crap, it's because I just realized that it's 3:30 in the morning, and we never went home after school," said Shino.

There was a longer pause this time. "Aw, crap!" exclaimed Takuya and Kouichi together.

"I'll leave you to that, then," said Witchmon, vanishing in the same manner as Wizardmon.

"Oh man, my parents are gonna murder me!" cried Takuya.

"Your parents? Mine aren't just gonna murder me, they're gonna lock me in my room with only food and water for the rest of my life, which won't be too long now!" cried Shino.

"Great, Mom's probably sent out a search party by now," said Kouichi exasperatedly.

"I'm not going home," Kouji said suddenly.

"Kouji…" Takuya began.

"No, Takuya," Kouichi interrupted. "Do you want to stay with me and Mom?" he asked Kouji.

Kouji shook his head yes.

"Well, that settles that," said Takuya unenthusiastically. "Guess we better go," he added, gesturing for Shino and Kouichi to follow.

"Better call Zoe and see how everyone's doing first," said Shino, taking out his D-Tector and trying the strategy of pressing all the buttons until something happens.

Kouichi glanced at the sky for a moment. _Good luck finding her, Witchmon,_ he thought.

—

_madjack89:_ That took a long time and the ending sucks, but there you go! I'm really, really, really, really sorry it took so long, but I've been busy lately, so sorry! I'm not really in the mood to write an ending commentary today, so sorry for that, too! I'll try to make the next chapter better than this one and get it to you quicker! Oh, and if anyone cares, my birthday is Saturday, so I may bring that up in the next commentary! And also, if you want to see something else that I've been working on that I just got done, go to youtube and look up my account (madjack89). It should be uploaded soon! Once again, sorry! I'll see you in chapter twenty!


	22. Ch 20: Giving Up in a good way

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 20: Giving Up (in a good way)**

_madjack89:_ Holy crap, we're at the twenty chapter mark? That's flippin' sweet!

_Takuya:_ Wow, twenty chapters.

_Kouji:_ My god, twenty chapters.

_Daiki:_ We should have cake for the occasion!

_JP:_ We've already got cake for Madjack's birthday!

_madjack89:_ You guys got me a cake? After all the crap I put you through in my story?

_Kira:_ Could be worse.

_Kouji:_ Speak for yourself.

_madjack89:_ Kouji, your issues get amended in this chapter.

_Kouji:_ In that case, happy birthday.

_Tommy:_ Wow, you're turning sixteen. That's older than all of us!

_Kouji:_ Yet she has the maturity of Takuya.

_Takuya:_ Yeah, she…hey, wait a minute!

_madjack89:_ At least I'm not as cold and distant as you.

_Kouji:_ …Touché.

_Shino:_ Where are Zoe and Kouichi?

_JP:_ Chief and Zee wanted to be the first to check out Madjack's new video on youtube. They should be done soon.

_Takuya:_ New video?

_madjack89:_ Yeah, it has to do with this story. If you haven't checked it out already, it's called "My Digimon Frontier Fanfiction Thingy." I'm madjack89 on there too, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding it.

_Takuya and Kouji:_ What kind of video is this?

_madjack89:_ A video kind of video!

_Takuya and Kouji:_ …

_madjack89:_ Okay, time for reviews!

_*break*_

_greywindfalcon:_ Sorry about taking so long. And don't worry, I plan on continuing this story til the end (I'm having fun writing it)! That's a bit harsh to Wizardmon (considering I showed a little of his soft side!). And thanks!

_hazeleyedharmony:_ Sweet, I've never met anyone with the same birthday as me! Happy birthday! I'm glad I amaze you, too! One reason Kouji didn't go home was because his dad would chew him up (ouch)! Thanks for reviewing!

_garnettfox:_ Calm down, I have done nothing to our little Tommy. He is busy wondering where everyone else went at home (he doesn't know about Kouji's little thing)! He got left out, but he'll be in the story more now, don't worry! Thanks for reviewing!

_kyokoaurora: _I should check out that story (lol)! And he is being an uber angst bunny, but he'll get over it soon. Thanks for the compliment!

_Kayland Elric:_ Happy belated birthday! I figured they were old enough now to cuss and it adds emphasis, so…yeah. I don't really cuss, so I let them cuss for me, I guess! I wish you luck with your story writing (that could be my birthday wish)! And I also had Kouichi cuss, which I try not to have him do because he seems like the type who only cusses when they're angry or upset. Oh, and I have a question. Does the Elric in your author name come from the anime Full Metal Alchemist? Just curious. Thank you for reviewing!

_babytigera:_ Don't be mad at her, sister person! I'm sorry! Blame me if you like! And it's okay if you look at minor technicalities, I do that all the time to my friends (they get annoyed at me)! I love random quotes, so I try to use them! I think it lightens the mood a little, too! And yay, I'm sixteen! Weeeeeee! And finally, in answer to your question, I've had this story in mind since I was thirteen, but I didn't start it until now. This was actually one of the first ideas I came up with, so I was happy to finally get to write it! Hooray! Thank you for reviewing and stuff!

_angelswings217:_ Got in a little late, but thank you!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Heheh, Sparta. I saw that the other day, so yeah. And Gatomon is totally not evil now! But what circumstances could change that…? Thanks for your review!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Okay, time to eat cake and write this chapter at the same time!

_Kira:_ Multi-tasking! One of the many skills of a woman!

_Kouji:_ Shut up, Yankee.

_Kira:_ Shut up yourself, Angsty McAngst Angst.

_Kouji:_ Grrrrr…

—

Witchmon stood on the roof of a tall building, scanning the area for any trace of her brother or sister. She sat down, taking an apple from her pocket. She took a bite, and then sighed.

"These human apples are good, but they just don't compare to the Digital World," she said, taking another big bite. She chewed slowly, pondering things.

"I wonder why he would even want to see her…" she muttered, referring to Kouichi. "I mean, what can he gain from seeing her again?"

Her fist clenched, and she took an angry bite of the apple, looking sullen. "Oh well. I suppose he'll have to see for himself how two-faced Gatomon really is."

She stood up again, throwing the apple core off the building and watching it plummet into the midst of the city. She pulled her hat farther over her face, stepping onto the edge of the building.

"How far both of you have fallen, you poor lost souls," she murmured, jumping from the roof of the building and landing on a windowsill farther below.

"Well, here I go!"

—

"Hey Taki. Still grounded for life?" Kira sat cross-legged on her futon, holding her little red cell phone to her ear.

"Yes," muttered Takuya sullenly from the other line.

"Man, it sucks that all you guys are under house arrest," she said. "Now I don't have anything to do!"

"At least you aren't in trouble like the rest of us," said Takuya. "I never thought that I would wish I had a dad like yours."

Kira smirked. "Yeah, it does help in situations like this," she said. "When I got home, he was so drunk off his ass that he thought I was my mom!"

There was silence on the other line. Kira's smile faded slightly. "Taki, it's okay, I'm fine." More silence. "Would it make you feel better to give me an over-the-phone hug?"

"It would make me feel better to give you a real hug," he muttered longingly. "It's been an entire week, and my parents are still furious, especially since I can't even tell them where I was or what I was doing."

"Yeah, it would be hard to say 'Sorry I was gone so long, guys. I just had to get rid of the evil forces lurking around and messing with the mind of my best friend, plus I had to kick the crap out of an equally evil wizard monster. Did you save me any dinner?'" Kira mimicked Takuya's voice, giggling at her own joke.

Takuya laughed too, and they spent a few more seconds like that. Then their laughter melted into an awkward silence. Kira gulped and asked the question she'd been dying to ask. "So, how's Kouji?"

Takuya paused before answering. "I don't know," he said slowly. "He's been at school, but no matter what I do, he won't talk to me. He won't even look at me."

"Jerk," muttered Kira angrily. "So what's Chief's analysis?"

"He's depressed too," Takuya sighed. "But at least he's talking to me."

"What the hell does he have to be depressed about?"

"I don't know for sure, but I think it may have at least something to do with Gatomon. I mean, she seemed to open up more to him than anyone else, but…"

"But?" Kira's curiosity was aroused by Takuya's reluctance.

"But she was using him," Takuya growled angrily. Kira could almost picture his teeth clenching. "That's what I can't stand most of all. That attack Wizardmon used was originally meant for Kouichi, not Kouji. She was getting close to him, just so she would be able to do that to him later! I just can't stand it! Why does it always have to be him, anyway?"

"Always have to be him? What do you mean?" Kira asked, confused by Takuya's anger. This kind of thing hadn't happened to Kouichi before, had it?

Takuya paused on the other line, choosing his words more carefully. "I just meant that it's always been kind of hard for Kouichi to get by. I mean, his father abandoned him and his mom for some other woman, and didn't even tell Kouji that he existed. Then of course he was thrust into some strange world and given a spirit that he was barely able to control, and told to go save the world with it. Life's just been hard on him is what I mean."

"I guess," said Kira, pondering Takuya's hasty answer. _Why would Taki keep something from me? What kind of secret is Kouichi hiding?_

—

Shino sat on the floor of his bedroom, leaning against his bedside table. He had just come into his room and hadn't bothered to turn on any lights. He had, however, locked the door. He didn't want to scare his little sister, after all.

He slowly lifted up the sleeve of his shirt, revealing his now tattoo-like burn. "Alright then. Let's see if I can find Wizardmon now."

With that his arm began to glow brilliantly, lighting up his room. He smirked. "It doesn't hurt anymore, does it?" He moved slowly to his bedroom window, sticking his glowing arm outside. He held it there for a few moments, and then sighed.

"I guess you're still not in range, are you?" he said, his arm ceasing to glow. "You probably aren't even in Japan anymore. But that won't stop me from checking every now and again."

He fell heavily onto his bed, reaching his arm over to his lamp and turning it on. "After all, if I find you, I find Gatomon, and if I find Gatomon, I find that cute little tail ring of her's."

He rolled over, facing the ceiling of his room. "I just wish that I could track more than just Wizardmon with this stupid burn, but he is the one who gave it to me, so I guess it makes sense."

His eyes narrowed, thinking of his reason for wanting Gatomon's tail ring. "That bastard thinks he's won, doesn't he?" he hissed, referring to Kouichi. "Well, I can fix that. If I could make him say something terrible to Zoe, something completely horrible, then I can pick up where he left off. And a good way to do that would be altering his emotions."

His fists clenched angrily. "Kouichi," he growled, sitting up and punching his pillow violently, trying to vent some anger. He breathed slowly, tears suddenly forming in his eyes. He grasped his pillow tightly, laying his head on it.

"Why am I so screwed up, Zoe?" he whispered to himself, sobbing silently.

—

JP jumped when he heard a thump on his bedroom window. He quickly got up from his desk, opening the window slowly. "Okay, don't throw any more rocks, the window's open," he whispered into the night, recalling what had happened last time this had occurred.

Tomoyo suddenly popped up from the bushes, smiling and waving at JP. "Catch!" she whispered loudly, throwing a rope up to JP. He caught it, confused. "Tie it to something!" Tomoyo whispered impatiently, tapping her foot on the ground.

JP sighed, tying the rope to his bed post. He pulled on it for good measure, then called, "Okay, you can come up now."

JP quickly locked his door and went back to the window, checking on Tomoyo's progress. To his surprise, she was already reaching her hand up to his windowsill. He grabbed her hand, pulling her into his room with ease.

"Wow, you sure are stronger than you let on!" muttered Tomoyo breathlessly, blushing.

"What do you want, Tomoyo?" asked JP bluntly. "You know how much trouble I'm in. If my parents catch you in here…"

"Oh, calm down JP. I just wanted to see you." She giggled, looking at JP's lamp. "This is a Pokemon lamp! You still like Pokemon?"

"No, I just didn't feel like getting a new one. That's the one I've had since I was seven," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Now can you please just get to the point? Why did you want to see me? What was your motivation?"

Tomoyo looked at him with big eyes, pouting. "Why are you being so cold to me, JP? You know I love you, so why wouldn't I want to see you?"

JP sighed, shaking his head. "Where do your parents think you are?"

"In my room, asleep," she answered, staring lovingly at JP.

She turned abruptly, staring instead at the opposite wall. "You didn't manage to get rid of me, did you?" she whispered softly so that JP could barely hear her. "You thought that you could scare me away by showing me the truth, but I'm still here."

JP's eyes narrowed. "That was my original intention," he murmured. He paused, seeing if Tomoyo would say anything. When she didn't respond, he continued, "I'm sorry, Tomoyo, but…I don't love you. I will never love you as you love me. Don't you see that? I…I just think it would be better if we were frie-"

Suddenly JP was interrupted by Tomoyo, whose lips were pressed firmly against his. Startled by the abrupt kiss, JP didn't respond to Tomoyo entwining her arms firmly around his waist, pressing her body against his.

JP's head swam for a moment, confused. What was going on? Why was Tomoyo doing this? _No! _Regaining his senses slightly, JP wriggled his arms out of Tomoyo's grip, grabbing her head firmly between his hands and pushing it back from his face.

Tomoyo released JP, backing up a few paces, breathing hard and looking flushed. JP's eyes were wide, staring at Tomoyo in complete shock.

"You…you k-k-kissed m-me…" JP muttered, still trying to get over the shock.

Tomoyo smiled playfully. "Yes, I did," she breathed, blushing from head to toe. "And it was wonderful!"

JP sat down slowly on his bed, putting his head in his hands. Tomoyo gasped. "I'm sorry, honey! Was that too sudden? We can take it slower, if you want."

"No, that's not it," whispered JP gruffly, shaking his head. "It's j-just that I…I l-liked it."

Tomoyo eyes grew wide with relief. "You don't know how happy that makes me!" She leaned forward, pulling JP into a hug.

JP stared at the floor, looking depressed. _But I still love Zoe._

—

Kouji dialed the number slowly, still trying to think of what to say. He gulped, swallowing his nervousness.

_Alright, Kouji, you can do this. It's time you told someone the truth about you and Seiko. Just get it off your chest, and you'll feel better._

The phone rang twice, and then Kouichi's voice answered from the other line. "Hello?"

Kouji froze. _Oh god!_

"Um, is someone there? I can hear breathing."

_Talk, damn it, TALK!_

"Oh my god, this is like that one movie I saw. Soon you're gonna tell me I'm gonna die in seven days! Oh crap! Call someone else, darn it!"

"Kouichi, it's me," said Kouji bluntly.

Kouichi breathed a sigh of relief. "Kouji? Wow, good thing it's you, because I never saw the end of that movie."

"I think everyone dies," said Kouji.

Kouichi paused. "Crap," he muttered. "So," he continued, "what's up? Why'd you call?"

Kouji pushed past the lump in his throat. "Well, it's just…I've had something on my mind lately and I just wanted to…get it of my chest."

"Are you coming to me first, or have you already told Takuya or someone else?" Kouichi asked bitterly.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Kouji, confused by Kouichi's sudden anger. "Did I do something…?" Suddenly it hit him. "This is about what I said before, about you ignoring me, isn't it? That's why you've been brooding this past week."

There was a long pause as Kouji waited for Kouichi's answer. Finally Kouichi said, "You were right. I even knew that something was wrong but…I didn't even lift a finger to help you. I got too wrapped up in my own issues that I didn't bother to notice what was going on with you.

"I was selfish, and I hated it. That attack wasn't even meant for you, it was meant for me. What kind of a brother am I?"

"You're wrong, Kouichi," said Kouji firmly. "None of this was your fault. There was nothing you could have done, even if you knew. Don't read into what I said to you then, because it was all a lie."

Kouji paused before continuing. "Besides, this was inevitable from the start. I've wanted this for a long time."

"Wanted to be lonely, right?" said Kouichi matter-of-factly.

Kouji's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you…?"

"There's not much you can keep from your identical twin, Kouji," replied Kouichi. "Or maybe Takuya's on to something with that freaky twin power thing?"

"Never," said Kouji, chuckling.

"Kouji," Kouichi began, hesitating slightly, "I know about that girl…I know about Seiko…"

Kouji smiled crookedly. "I see," he muttered.

"Kouji…were you…you were in love with her, weren't you?" asked Kouichi timidly, losing his confidence.

Kouji sighed. "Yes, I guess I was. And I still am." He chuckled coldly. "Funny how things work out, isn't it?

"I remember the first time I saw her in class," continued Kouji, forgetting that Kouichi was listening on the other line. "I thought she was your typical blond ditz. She was giggly and bubbly and all the things that got on my nerves! I used to hate her for it, but for some reason I was drawn to her.

"She was like the piece to the broken puzzle of my fragmented, jaggedy, screwed-up heart. She gave me the thing I needed. She gave me friendship, and the ability to make friends. Without her, I'd be as messed up now as I was back then.

"But then," Kouji paused, feeling the pain and sadness this memory always brought with it, "she gave her life to save mine. After that, I spiraled into a pretty deep depression. I just kept asking myself 'why did she save me?' or 'what made her think that I was important enough to be saved?' I didn't think I deserved it. Actually, those are the same things I asked myself when you sacrificed yourself for us in the Digital World."

"I'm sorry, Kouji, but you are worth it," said Kouichi solemnly.

"According to you and Seiko," Kouji said teasingly. "But, I suppose you've guessed the rest. I came to the conclusion that friendship only brought pain and loss. I decided that everyone leaves eventually, so why bother with friends?" He laughed to himself. "And then I met you guys. You broke right through my barrier like a wrecking ball. And now I've realized that I can't live without any of you. I can't make myself be lonely."

"So you're calling to say you give up?" asked Kouichi hopefully.

Kouji sighed dejectedly. "Yes, Kouichi, I give up. You guys are my friends, and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

"Hooray!" exclaimed Kouichi from the other line, giggling excitedly. Kouji couldn't help but laugh as well. He loved it when Kouichi was this happy and excited.

"So, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow," said Kouji, preparing to call Takuya and tell him to stop sulking.

"Oh, by the way, just as a warning, Takuya and JP are planning a 'surprise party' for us with everyone else."

"Perfect," Kouji muttered, heading throbbing. "He's already giving me headaches…"

—

_madjack89:_ There you go! Plot and character development, and no more angsty bunny Kouji!

_Kouji:_ About time!

_Kouichi:_ Why is he an angsty bunny?

_madjack89:_ Because it sounds better than angsty wolfy.

_Zoe:_ I don't know, that still sounds pretty cute.

_madjack89:_ Shut up, Zoe.

_Zoe:_ Shut up yourself.

_madjack89:_ …You are a formidable opponent, Zoe Orimoto.

_Zoe:_ As are you, Madjack.

_Kira:_ What about me?

_Zoe:_ You're formidable in the ass-kicking way.

_Kira:_ Damn straight!

_madjack89:_ Okay, I need to get back on topic.

_Takuya:_ You had a topic?

_madjack89:_ Shut up, Takuya. Okay, anyway, lately I've been thinking about all the different voice actors in anime and I began to wonder, "Who would voice act the characters in my story if my story were an anime?" Well, of course, the first six already have their voices…

_Takuya:_ Michael Reisz is the best!

_Kouji:_ Who?

_Takuya:_ My voice actor!

_Kouji:_ …Who?

_Takuya:_ I'm gonna kill you!

_madjack89:_ …but I wondered who would voice my other characters? Well, if it were up to me, I'd want Yuri Lowenthal to voice Shino…

_Shino:_ Sweet.

_madjack89:_ …Kari Wahlgren for Kira…

_Kira:_ Heck yes!

_madjack89:_ …Wendee Lee for Daiki…

_Daiki:_ Yay, a girl!

_madjack89:_ …and I'm not really sure for Hotaru. If anyone has an idea for him, drop it in your comment!

_Hotaru:_ That was a bit anticlimactic.

_Everyone:_ Shut up, Hotaru!

_maqdjack89:_ Okay, well, see you later everybody!


	23. Ch 21: HeroHeroine

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 21: Hero/Heroine**

_madjack89:_ Hi everybody! Time for chappie 21! Hope you're all fired up, because Takuya's cousin is finally stepping into the spotlight!

_Takuya:_ Oh, come on! First the twins, then JP, add in some Shino and a hint of Kira, and now me!

_Kouji:_ Was that a recipe, or you complaining?

_JP:_ Little of both, I think.

_madjack89:_ You're overdue, Taki. Don't worry, after this, things will really kick off!

_Shino:_ They haven't already?

_Kouichi:_ This is gonna be a long fanfic…

_Zoe:_ It kinda already is.

_Kouichi:_ Good point.

_Tommy:_ I wanna be in the story again!

_madjack89:_ Stop complaining or I'm killing you all off in this chapter!

_Everyone:_ …

_madjack89:_ That's better. Okay, review time!

_*break*_

_JewelledTears:_ That is a cute picture! Awww! But sorry I didn't exactly update soon. Don't hate me! And thanks for reviewing!

_hazeleyedharmony:_ I had much fun with that particular part of the chapter, and I had even more fun with this chapter (heh heh heh)! And Michael Lindsay is an interesting proposition. Anyway, thanks for the review!

_greywindfalcon:_ That is an interesting idea, but I have no clue who could pull off any of the characters! But I'll have to put some definite thought into it! And I checked out your account on youtube. You're a guy! (I didn't know!) Not that it matters. I'm a girl, so yeah. Thanks for reviewing!

_garnettfox:_ Are you a Tommy fan by any chance? (heh) But anyway, he's in the story now, and his brother's gonna come into play to, so look forward to the coming chapters! Thankies!

_Kayland Elric:_ I see. I actually have only seen about six episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist, but so far it's pretty cool! Because he's Vic Mignogna! (sp?) lol But anyway that's cool, I'll have to check out your stories once I understand more of the plot of the show! Thank you!

_kyokoaurora:_ I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hope you like this chapter too! Thanks!

_GoldenDragon326:_ You don't know those voice actors! They're awesome! Actually, if you've ever seen the Digimon Frontier Dubbed movie, then listen to Bearmon, because he's played by Wendee Lee. For Yuri Lowenthal, he's Sasuke from Naruto. Kari Wahlgren plays a whole buttload of characters that I don't feel like looking up, but she's cool too! And I commented back on your comment. Thanks so much!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Alright, let's get to the chapter!

_Takuya:_ Why…?

—

_DING DONG _

The messy-black-haired boy rang the doorbell several times. The door opened, and he smiled at the middle aged woman that answered the door.

"Hey there, Aunt Yuriko. Just thought I'd pay you guys a visit. Week off in college and all."

Mrs. Kanbara smiled. "You never did get to the point easily, Chikao. Do you want to stay here?"

"That would be nice," he said, grinning back. "I'll just get my stuff from the car then?"

"You can stay in Takuya's room if you like. I'm sure he'll be excited to see you after so many years."

"Where is he, anyway?" asked Chikao, slowly walking down the front steps toward his car.

"Well, tonight he's sleeping over with his friends. He'll be back tomorrow."

Chikao's eyes narrowed. "Really," he muttered. "Hey, do you mind if I pick him up? You know, as sort of a surprise?"

"I'm sure he'd enjoy that," said Mrs. Kanbara. "I'll give you the address when you get inside," she called, closing the door behind her.

Chikao stared at the door for a moment, and then smiled wickedly. "That was almost too easy," he said, chuckling to himself.

He walked over to the trunk of his car and popped the hood open, revealing two Digimon crouched in the back, one wrapped in rope.

"Here's our stop," said Chikao, gesturing for the wizard-like Digimon to hop out. "Just climb in the second window on the right."

"Thanks," replied Wizardmon, grabbing Gatomon and hoisting her gently over his shoulder. Despite this, she squeaked in pain. Wizardmon flinched. "Chikao," he murmured, glancing at the boy beside him. "Are you sure about this? About helping me exact my revenge? They will get hurt, after all."

Chikao cackled quietly. "Do you assume I care? As far as I'm concerned, everyone can live or die. It doesn't really matter to me. I'm just along for the ride."

He chuckled again. "Now, I wonder how my old buddy Takuya's doing."

—

"Damn it, this is hard!" exclaimed Takuya, slamming the textbook he had been reading onto the floor of Kouji's bedroom.

"You're the one who wanted to wait until the last minute to do this report, Takuya," said Kouji, putting his own textbook down. "It's not like we have to help you, you know!"

"You call this helping?" Takuya retorted, holding up a blank sheet of paper. "I have absolutely nothing!"

"And whose fault is that? Oh, that's right, yours!" yelled Kouji, glaring at Takuya.

"Weren't we here to prevent them from fighting?" muttered Kouichi, blocking out Kouji and Takuya's bickering.

"Yup," replied JP, taking a sip of his soda.

"We're not doing a very good job," Kouichi sighed, sifting through the papers on the ground.

Something colorful suddenly caught Kouichi's eye in the pile and he picked it up. He realized it was a picture of what looked to be Takuya at a younger age and an older kid standing next to him.

"Hey Takuya?" he yelled over the argument that was still going on. "Who is this?"

Takuya's head jerked up to the picture that Kouichi held. His eyes widened.

JP stared intently at the picture. "Yeah, Taki, who is this guy? You got some sort of long-lost brother thing going on like the twins here?"

Kouji and Kouichi glared at him.

"It's no one!" said Takuya quickly, grabbing the picture swiftly from Kouichi's grasp and shoving it firmly into his backpack. "I don't know how that got here," he muttered quietly to himself.

The other three stared at Takuya suspiciously. "You know Taki, if your getting grief from anybody, we could easily rough em up," said JP, flexing his muscle.

"It's nothing like that," said Takuya, sighing heavily. "He's my cousin."

"I thought you looked alike," said Kouichi.

"Well, if he's your cousin, why are you getting all apprehensive about mentioning him?" asked Kouji bluntly. "Did something happen between you two?"

"Well," began Takuya, debating on whether to tell his friends or not. Ever since that day with Chikao, he had never wanted to mention his cousin again mostly because he didn't want to admit to the selfish nature he knew he possessed. He didn't want his friends to know this either, but since Kouji had confessed to his fear, he supposed he should…

Suddenly Takuya's cell phone began to vibrate in his pocket, playing the ring tone he had set for when Tommy called.

"Oh, it's Tommy. Better answer it," said Takuya, sighed in relief to himself.

He flipped open his phone. "Hi Tommy," he greeted Tommy cheerfully. He couldn't help but be in a good mood when it came to his surrogate little brother. He was always so innocent and honest.

"Hi Takuya," answered Tommy, sounding tense.

"Tell the kid to hurry up and let you go so we can finish your 'masterfully crafted' report," Kouji said sarcastically, holding up Takuya's blank paper for emphasis.

"Shut up, Kouji," Takuya snapped. "What's wrong, Tommy?" he asked, turning his attention back to his phone. The other three gathered around Takuya, anxious to hear what had happened.

"Well, my brother's visiting from college this week, and he showed up today," Tommy began, pausing before continuing. "He said-he said that his classmate was going to visit some relatives, too."

"Who's his classmate?" asked Takuya nervously, suddenly getting anxious.

Tommy took a breath and continued. "It's…your cousin."

Takuya dropped his phone, sprang up, and ran out Kouji's door. A moment later, the rest of them heard the front door open and close.

"What the hell?" muttered Kouji.

"Takuya? Takuya?" Tommy's anxious voice came from the phone.

JP quickly picked it up. "Kid, I'm sorry, but that wasn't the best reveal I've ever heard. Work on it."

Kouichi grabbed the phone from JP. "Tommy, why would the news that Takuya's cousin is here make you upset?" he asked, curiosity sparked.

"He's going into Nancy Drew mode," said JP, chuckling.

Kouji punched his arm. "Shut up," he growled.

"Well, it's not that Takuya's cousin is here. I've never met him before. But my brother seems really jumpy and nervous about it, and that got me nervous. Where did Takuya go?" asked Tommy anxiously.

"He just kind of left," said Kouichi slowly, pondering what had just happened.

"Should you be Ned, or should I?" JP asked Kouji.

Kouji punched his arm again. "Idiot," he murmured to himself.

"Well, while Kouichi unravels this case, what do you say we see what our friend Takuya is up to?" JP offered to Kouji, rubbing his arm.

"That's the first good idea you've had all night," Kouji said, getting up and looking at his clock. It was 7:11. "Of course," he muttered, glaring at me. (I couldn't help it!) "Well, we should probably fabricate a lie so that my dad and Satomi don't call the cops like last time."

"Let's just leave that to Chief. He's smart; he'll figure something out," said JP, shoving Kouji out the door. He didn't feel like brainstorming possible lies tonight.

"Hey JP, wait a minute! What do I say?" Kouichi dropped Takuya's phone, trying to stop JP's frantic retreat.

"JP!" Kouji tried to get around JP, but his arms were being held to his sides.

"Later!" JP called, slamming Kouji's bedroom door shut.

Kouichi stood in the middle of the room, staring at the door. "Perfect," he said, hanging his head. "I always get the least desirable job."

"Hello? Kouichi? Are you still there? Hello?" Tommy voice came from the neglected cell phone sitting on the ground.

—

Takuya sprinted down the sidewalk, passing house after house. He slowed down, turned a corner, and continued on at full speed. He knew where he had to be, and he had to get there now.

"Chikao," Takuya grumbled, gritting his teeth. "Why are you here, now?"

His eyes began to well up when he thought of his cousin. He shook his head roughly, stopping the tears. "Not today," he growled.

He was finally going to see his cousin after all these years. He would be able to confront him for the first time.

He brought his hand up to his goggles, making sure they were still there, unlike last time. Of course, that had been a dream…

Or at least, he wished it could have been all a dream.

—

JP and Kouji walked down the street at a more leisurely pace, not quite sure which direction they were going in the first place. They thought they should start at the park and continue on from there.

They walked in silence for a while, JP humming to himself. He glanced at Kouji every once and a while, looking like he was about to say something, but then changed his mind and continued to hum.

Kouji sighed. "Okay, JP, you keep staring at me. Just spit it out, will you?"

JP chuckled. "You always do like to get straight to the point." He stopped by the first park bench they came to, motioning for Kouji to sit down next to him.

Kouji looked at him skeptically. "Um, I thought we were trying to find Takuya, not take a stroll on the town. Besides, I'm not really on THAT side of the fence, if you know what I mean."

"What?" exclaimed JP, confused by Kouji's assumption. "I just wanted some advice!"

"Oh," Kouji said, sitting down. "Uh, sorry. So, what do you need to ask?"

JP fiddled with his thumbs for a minute, wondering where to begin. He finally took a deep breath and said, "I need…women advice."

Kouji's eyes widened, not understanding why JP would want his advice with this subject.

JP smiled. "C'mon, Kouji, is it that hard to process? You did have a girl, after all."

Kouji looked away, hiding the depressed look on his face when JP mentioned Seiko. JP winced. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's fine," Kouji murmured, turning back around to face JP. "I guess I might be able to help you, depending on what the situation is."

JP sighed heavily. "Well…it's…it's…" He took another deep breath and whispered Zoe's name under his breath.

"What?" asked Kouji, not hearing what JP had said.

"It's Zoe, okay!" JP suddenly exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "I just don't know what to do! I still love Zoe, but I can never have her! Your brother's assured that for me, even if I already knew myself that we'd never be together! I just wanted to hold on to the slim hope that I had a chance, but I never did!

"And just to add fuel to the fire, Kouichi's always so damn nice to me, making it impossible for me to hate him! I just hate this situation in general, but most of all I hate the person who got me into this; me!

"But it doesn't end there! I still have Tomoyo clinging on to me, thinking she's my girlfriend, when I just have her around for self assurance of my own worth! And I keep trying to get rid of her, but nothing works on that girl! She just keeps coming back for more of the same; rejection! And somewhere deep down, I feel good about it, because I feel like I'm getting back at the world for dealing me such a sucky hand!

"So I've come to you, Kouji, begging you to help me! You know what it's like to loose someone you love. You know what it's like to possibly develop feelings for another girl. You understand more than anyone what I'm going through! So please Kouji, please help me!"

JP ended his tirade, breathing hard and looking anguished.

Kouji stared at him in stunned silence, not knowing that JP had been shouldering all these mixed up emotions for so long without telling anyone.

"JP…I didn't know…I'm sorry…" Kouji whispered, not knowing where to begin.

"No Kouji, it's not your fault; it's mine," said JP, voice trembling and cracking as if he were about to lose it. Which, in actuality, he just might.

"So that's it." JP and Kouji turned, realizing that someone else had been listening to JP's entire speech. Tomoyo stepped out from behind a tree, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Tomoyo," Kouji murmured.

Tomoyo glared at JP, anger burning through her tears. "So that's all I am to you, huh? Assurance of your worth? Nothing more than a back-up girl? Like a tool? Is that what I am to you, JP? A tool?"

"Tomoyo, I didn't want you to find out…" JP began.

"Save it!" Tomoyo cried. "I'm done listening to your lies. You never took me seriously, so why should I?"

With that she turned around and ran back through the woods, headed toward the pond.

"Tomoyo, wait!" JP dashed off after her, leaving Kouji behind.

Kouji stood still for a moment, still trying to process JP's words. _You know what it's like to loose someone you love. You know what it's like to possibly develop feelings for another girl._

Yes, he did know what that was like. The crushing, overwhelming pain he'd felt when Seiko had died. The small hope that had fluttered in his chest when Zoe offered him her hand, and he took it.

"What makes you think I handled things any better, JP?" he muttered, resolving to continue his search for Takuya and deal with JP later.

—

"Chikao!" Takuya rushed through his front door, causing it to slam against the wall and knock a family photo to the floor.

He didn't care. All that mattered right now was him and his cousin.

He scanned his living room first, realizing that the lights were all out and the place was deserted. A chill began to creep through him. Where were his parents? Where was his brother?

"Don't worry, they're fine. They just went out to eat."

Takuya turned around sharply, coming face to face with Chikao. His eyes narrowed, glaring angrily at his cousin. "Why are you here?" he asked under his breath, hands clenching into fists.

Chikao laughed, patting Takuya on the head. "Come on, buddy. We haven't seen each other in years."

"Because of you," Takuya growled, backing away from Chikao's touch.

"And you," Chikao shot back, putting the photo back on the wall and shutting the door quietly.

Takuya winced. Chikao chuckled. "Well, I guess there's no point in trying to make amends, is there? You still hate me, after all."

Takuya sighed. "I'm sorry Chikao, okay?" he said. "I just got a little mad, that's all. I don't hate you."

He held out his hand to Chikao. "It's good to see you, Chikao."

Chikao smiled. "Now, that's what I like to hear!" He gestured toward Takuya's bedroom, putting his arm around Takuya's shoulder. "What do you say we catch up a little? I made popcorn."

Takuya smiled slightly. "That sounds pretty good," he replied, letting Chikao lead him down the hall.

Chikao let go of Takuya, stepping into Takuya's room and turning on the lights. "C'mon in, buddy."

Takuya grinned back, stepping into his room…

…and instantly getting bashed on the head with a wand. He fell to the ground, slowly loosing consciousness. He swiveled his eyes, resting them on his attacker. Wizardmon.

"You…" he mumbled incoherently, slipping away faster now.

"Excellent work, Chikao," Wizardmon said, glancing at his cousin. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"No trouble at all, Wizardmon," said Chikao, grinning at Takuya. "No trouble at all."

Then everything went black and Takuya passed out.

—

"What?" muttered Shino to himself. "That can't be right."

He was alone in his room again, roaming the city for any trace of Wizardmon, or Gatomon and her tail ring. As it turned out, he had finally come upon a lead tonight. Coming from the direction of Takuya's neighborhood, maybe even his house.

Shino knew this had to be correct, but he couldn't believe it. "If Wizardmon is in Takuya's neighborhood, then Takuya might be…"

He didn't need to finish his sentence. He quickly walked over to his bed, slipping on his jacket. He was going out tonight, but for which reason he didn't yet know.

Was he supposed to be the hero, or the villain?

—

_madjack89:_ There you go! Chapter 21 is finally completed!

_Kouji:_ Took you long enough.

_madjack89:_ Shut up, Kouji. Anyway, I kind of had a lot to do and then I had really bad writers block, so I'm truly sorry this chapter took so long! But once again, I got the story straight in my head, so things should run smoothly from here on out!

_Takuya:_ Goody.

_madjack89:_ Stop being mean, Taki. Just deal with what you got.

_Takuya:_ A painful headache?

_Kouichi:_ Because headaches are the worst head injuries you can get.

_Takuya:_ Shut up, coma boy!

_Kouichi:_ Darn…got me.

_madjack89:_ Yeah, I'm gonna end the chapter now.

_Takuya and Kouichi:_ Okay.

_madjack89:_ See ya, everybody!


	24. Ch 22: Phase Two

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 22: Phase Two**

_madjack89:_ Hey there guys! Time for chapter 22!

_Zoe: _Yippee.

_madjack89:_ Why are you upset?

_Zoe:_ Well, you just seem to be making everyone's central problem me, and I really don't appreciate it!

_madjack89:_ Uh, sorry.

_Zoe: _You should be! How would you feel if you had two guys going through grief and anguish because of you?

_madjack89:_ I'd be happy to HAVE two guys who like me.

_Kouichi:_ Three…

_Zoe:_ I'm sorry, Kouichi! I took you as a given!

_madjack89:_ Yeah, sorry Chief!

_Kouichi:_ It's okay.

_madjack89 and Zoe:_ You're so nice!

_JP:_ Un-be-freakin-lievable!

_Takuya:_ Wow.

_Kouji:_ Of course he's the twin that gets all the luck with girls…

_Kouichi: *sigh*_

_madjack89:_ Okay, review time!

_Daiki:_ Wait a minute, why aren't me and Hotaru in the—

_madjack89:_ Don't you start!

_Daiki:_ Sorry.

_madjack89:_ Okay, as I said, review time!

_*break*_

_hazeleyedharmony:_ Yeah, the infamous wait. Sorry about that! I was watching a Nancy Drew movie while typing this, so it found its way in there! I don't know! And I like how Shino turned out myself. I never expected him to get so complex! Now I plan on doing more with him than I originally intended. Thanks for commenting and I'm glad you like it!

_agoodcupoftea:_ Sorry, but shonen-ai isn't my cup of tea (pun intended!). Glad you like it anyway, but don't strain your eyes for my sake! Don't want your eyes to burn out of their sockets or something! lol! Alright, well thank you!

_Megmo8214:_ Yo, Megmo! Thanks for the comment. I did have a feeling people would like the Nancy Drew joke (heh heh)!

_kyokoaurora:_ He is, he is. He has his reasons, though, as we will soon see. Thankies for commenting and all that jazz!

_Kayland Elric:_ I was wondering why no one had gotten lost in this crazy plot yet (lol)! But seriously, if you need anything explained, you can drop a line to me or something. I'll explain it to you. (I'll be there for you!) And the past with Chikao crap is up in the air because I haven't explained it completely yet. This happens in anime a lot, so I'm trying it out for myself (heh)! And tell your friend to get on soon because I'll enable my anonymous comments for him or her so they can comment. I'm just that nice (and now I'm hyper)! Anyway, thanks for your honest opinion. I would expect nothing less!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Yes, I hate writer's block (sigh). And with Shino, he knows that if he goes along with his plan (explained in chapter 20) he'll be doing something wrong in order to fulfill his own self-satisfaction (what a conundrum). Hope that explains it better! Thanks for commenting!

_angelswings217:_ Don't we all? lol Thanks for the comment!

_xReminis-cence:_ Yay, someone got the title reference! I've gotten into a habit of using different song titles for chapter titles. I may just start using them for every chapter! You'll have to wait to have your question answered, though. Sorry! But thanks for the review!

_garnettfox: _Ummmmmmmmmmm…okay! Thanks for reviewing (though I didn't understand it)!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Okay, now to write chapter 22! Woot! Oh, and Tommy's brother's name is Yutaka, in case somebody didn't know (it's an anagram of Takuya!).

—

Takuya's eyes fluttered open, but he barely registered this fact because all he could see was black. He tried to move his arms and realized that they were tied up behind his back.

As his eyes adjusted more to the dark and he felt less groggy, he recognized the yellow shirt hanging in front of his face. He realized with a jolt that he was tied up in his own closet.

His eyes narrowed. "So it did happen," he whispered to himself, inching closer to the wall in order to get into a sitting position. "Chikao…and Wizardmon…"

His head throbbed painfully and he gritted his teeth against the harsh reality. His cousin was out to get him…maybe even wanted him dead…but for what? Why was he doing this? How did he come to be partnered up with Wizardmon? This couldn't still be about before, could it?

"Don't cry, Takuya." Takuya jumped when he heard a feminine voice come from the opposite side of the closet. He jerked his head to find Gatomon tied up next to him, eyes soft and sympathetic.

Takuya quickly looked away, not wanting Gatomon to see him like this. Actually, not wanting Gatomon to be near him in general.

"Just shut up," he mumbled angrily, tears stinging his eyes. "Like you really care. Do you even have the capacity to care?"

"Yes," Gatomon replied softly, placing something soft in Takuya's hand. He glanced over his shoulder to see that she had given him a tissue.

He glared at her, embarrassed and angry. "So, you want to help, huh? Okay, then why don't you just leave me the hell alone?"

With that Takuya turned himself around, facing away from Gatomon and letting the tissue fall from his hand.

Gatomon sighed. "I know that you don't trust me, but maybe you will when you hear what I have to say."

Takuya didn't answer. Gatomon continued anyway. "There's no use beating around the bush, is there? Well, I guess I'll start with the most shocking news.

"I'm in love with Kouichi."

—

Kouji shoved his hands in his pockets, staring thoughtfully at the moon. JP's dilemma had gotten him thinking about some touchy subjects.

In his opinion, he had handled things in the worst possible way. He had lost control. It could have cost Takuya his life. It could have cost anyone their lives. Even Kouichi…

He shook his head, trying to get back on task. He was supposed to be finding Takuya, not worrying over his own troubles.

He sighed, taking a step forward.

Suddenly, something jumped out of the bushes in front of him. Before he had time to react, the figure jumped into the sky, raining a storm of bright lights down on Kouji.

When they made contact with him, he realized too late that these supposed lights were solid, and painful. For a moment he was lost in a haze of sharp, searing pain.

Then as quickly as it had begun it was over. The pricks of light, now spattered with red, dissipated into particles of data. Kouji stood dumbfounded for a moment, bleeding from multiple places on his body (and don't take anything perverted from that statement. You know who you are.)

His legs trembled and he fell, unable to support his weight. His eyes widened in fear as the full gravity of what had just happened sunk in.

He had been attacked by a Digimon while in his human form. It was still there; probably ready to go in for the kill. And even if he got lucky and it didn't finish him off, he was still in danger of massive blood loss. It was a no-win situation. He was finished.

He got a better look at the Digimon in front of him. From its mannerisms and the way its body curved, he could tell it was female. She was yellow in color, and resembled an upright fox. Her tail swished back and forth over the park's path gracefully.

Kouji glared at her for a moment, waiting to see what she would do. When she did nothing, Kouji said, "So that's it, huh? You're just going to stand there and watch me bleed to death? No heroes among mercenaries, are there?"

He winced as more blood flowed from a particularly deep cut on his arm. He grasped it with his other hand, trying to keep pressure on it. He wouldn't go down without a fight, and if that meant staying alive until JP or someone else found him, so be it. He would try to keep the Digimon occupied in conversation for now.

The fox-like Digimon glanced at Kouji with her beady eyes, looking almost bored. "I'm a mercenary, am I?" she said smugly, walking slowly over to Kouji. She stopped a foot from where he sat and crouched down in order to get a better view of him.

"Humans are always so short," she muttered, standing back up to her full height. "Even the legendary warriors."

Kouji closed his eyes, trying desperately not to cry out in pain. If he did that, he knew this Digimon would silence him quickly so as not to be discovered by others.

"If you were wondering, human," began the Digimon, glanced over her shoulder at Kouji, "I was not actually ordered to kill you. I was ordered to show you human children the strength of the Digital World resistance."

She paused before continuing her monologue. "We are attempting the revival of a very important Digimon, and you are both helpful and hurtful to our cause. My mistress, Lady Ilsemon, has been monitoring your movements for many human months now, slowly learning all your weaknesses and fears.

"Now she is ready to proceed to the next phase of her plan, and for that, you must stay alive."

Kouji looked at her skeptically. "So you ambushed me and mortally wounded me in order to keep me alive?" He doubled over suddenly, racked with the pain from the effort it took to talk.

The Digimon quickly flitted to his side, placing a paw on his back. She closed her eyes and her paw glowed with a warm light.

Kouji opened his eyes, feeling the pain slowly ebb away. His body tingled with this soothing sensation for a moment longer. Then the Digimon took her paw off Kouji's back and began to walk away.

Kouji glanced at his arm, realizing that the gashes were gone. He examined himself all over, finding more of the same. He stood slowly, gazing at the retreating Digimon in wonder.

He knew he was no match for her now, so instead of wasting energy attacking, he asked the Digimon, "Who are you?"

Without turning, the Digimon murmured, "Renamon." Then she jumped into the air and was gone.

—

"Alright, let's read this back," said Kouichi to himself, holding up his note to Kouji's parents.

"Dear Dad and Mrs. Minamoto, Kouji and the rest of us went out to buy snacks. JP ate them all. Be back soon. Kouichi."

He stared at it a moment longer, knowing JP would be mad at him. Then he laid it down on the kitchen table and hurried out the front door.

He had talked to Tommy for a little while longer after Kouji and JP had left him, mostly to calm Tommy's nerves. He still had no answers, though. All he knew was that, for some reason, Tommy's older brother was worried about Takuya's cousin visiting. Takuya hadn't seemed all that excited either.

"Guess Kouji and I aren't the only ones with family problems," he muttered to himself, walking in the direction of Takuya's house. He figured that was as good a place as any to start looking for some answers. He wanted to meet this cousin of Takuya's for himself.

Suddenly his cell phone began to ring. He stopped, fumbling around in his pocket to get it. He finally fished it out and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Kouichi?" He recognized Kouji's voice on the other line, sounding kind of nervous.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Kouichi asked, getting straight to the point. He was beginning to feel a bit anxious himself.

"It doesn't matter how I am!" he snapped. "Where are you?"

Kouichi winced. "I'm on my way to Takuya's…"

"Okay, just keep going then," said Kouji quickly, cutting him off. "I'll meet you there. Call Zoe and Kira and tell them to meet us there too. I'll call Daiki and Shino. Tell them to be careful and bring their D-Tectors. Speaking of which, do you have yours?"

"Yeah," he said, taking it quickly out of his pocket. "Kouji, what's going on?"

"There's at least one Digimon after us right now, but there could be more." He paused, then continued. "It attacked me in cold blood."

Kouichi's eyes widened in fear. "What? Are you alright? Where are you?"

"I'm fine," Kouji said quickly. "I'll explain everything once we're all at Takuya's house."

A thought suddenly occurred to Kouichi. "Kouji, where's JP?"

There was another pause. "That's what I'm going to find out. Be careful. I'll meet you soon." The phone beeped and Kouji hung up. However, Kouichi wasn't paying attention to this fact at all. In fact, he dropped his phone, forgetting it was even there.

He didn't even feel as if any of this was real anymore. He felt like he had just stepped into one of his nightmares.

In front of him stood the one thing he had been trying to block from his mind, the one thing from the Digital World he tried so desperately to forget, but couldn't.

"It's been a while, Kouichi," said the Digimon in front of him pleasantly, extending his hand mockingly to Kouichi. "You look well. And, no thanks to you, so am I. Surprised?"

Kouichi's surprise instantly turned to anger and dismay. "You should have stayed dead, Duskmon. Now you've just put me in a bad mood."

Duskmon chuckled. "You think you're in a bad mood? You don't know the half of it."

—

Yutaka paced the floor of his living room for a moment, going over in his head what had happened between him and Chikao just before he had left.

He had been completely packed and ready to take a taxi to his neighborhood, when he heard his door open. He spun around to see Chikao standing in his doorway, smiling and waving.

He rolled his eyes and glared at Chikao. _Great. Just great._

Being near this guy always gave him the creeps. That's why he had been so surprised to find out that Chikao was actually Takuya Kanbara's cousin. He had met his brother's friend a few times before and thought he was a pretty nice kid. But his cousin, to him, was the opposite.

The weird thing about it was that he only seemed to act odd in front of Yutaka. He was always nice and mild-mannered around everyone else. Why he had to put on a show, or for what purpose Yutaka didn't know. All he knew was that this guy was bad news, to him at least.

"You know, people usually knock when they want to enter someone else's room," said Yutaka grudgingly. "I'm on my way out anyway, so I guess whatever you wanted will have to wait til next week."

He grabbed his bags and tried to shove past Chikao, but Chikao blocked his way. Yutaka glared at him. "Move, Kanbara," he ordered angrily. "I don't have time for you right now."

Chikao smiled, but not in a happy way, Yutaka noticed. This was more of a smug smile, like Chikao knew something he didn't. This made Yutaka stop.

"We need to talk," said Chikao bluntly, grabbing his own bag from outside the room and walking in, shoving the door closed behind him. "Lock that," Chikao ordered, setting his bag on Yutaka's bed.

Yutaka stared at him, not knowing if he should turn and run or not. Chikao chuckled. "I'm not going to do anything to you, Himi," he said, "I just want to tell you something before you leave."

Yutaka still didn't move. Chikao sighed. "It's about your brother. Tommy, right?"

Yutaka's eyes narrowed. "What about Tommy?" he asked, suddenly interested.

Chikao smirked. "Now we're getting somewhere," he said, pulling his bag closer to him. Yutaka noticed for the first time that something seemed to be moving around in it, almost like something alive were in there.

Yutaka gulped, but finally his curiosity won out over his better judgment and he locked the door.

"Let's start with how much you know about these weird mutated monsters that have been popping up lately," Chikao began, pulling a newspaper article from his back pocket and handing it to Yutaka.

Yutaka grabbed it and scanned the article quickly. It was a report about the intelligent monsters that had started showing themselves recently. "I know enough about them. Who doesn't? It's pretty unsettling to know we're not the only intelligent life forms out in the universe."

"So you think they're aliens?" asked Chikao.

"Everyone has their theories," answered Yutaka, growing anxious. Why was Chikao asking him all these questions? What did he need to tell him that was so important? He needed some answers.

Chikao chuckled. "The answer is right under your nose, Himi," he muttered. "But before I get to that, let me introduce you to my little buddy."

Chikao opened his bag and a worn-looking witch's hat popped out, followed by a short body wrapped in a tattered cloak. Its face was hidden in shadow.

Yutaka's eyes widened and he backed up against his wall quickly. "Th-th-th-that's a…a…"

"A Digimon. That's what these monsters are called," Chikao said calmly, walking up to Yutaka. "This one's name is Wizardmon."

"Pleasure to meet you," said the monster, bowing slightly.

Yutaka nodded, regaining his senses slightly. This thing was intelligent and didn't seem hostile. If it wanted to kill them, it would have done so sooner. Plus, it had nice manners.

Yutaka turned to Chikao, a million questions whizzing through his head. "These things are called…Digimon?"

Chikao nodded. "Why is this one…?" Yutaka began, feeling at a loss for words.

"I found him wandering around the streets one night, grumbling about getting revenge on someone." Chikao smiled devilishly. Yutaka shivered. "I talked to him, and I decided to help him in his quest for revenge. That's where we're headed right now."

"Revenge?" Yutaka asked listlessly, glanced at the Digimon and then at Chikao.

"Yes, revenge," said Chikao. "Don't worry, though, he wants revenge against some other Digimon."

From the way he said it, Yutaka knew that there was more to this than Chikao was telling him. This might even be what had to do with Tommy.

"What about my brother, Kanbara. Tell me right now!" he demanded, eyes blazing with anger.

Chikao chuckled again, shooing the Digimon back into his bag and zipping it up. "If you want to know, I suggest you go ask him yourself." He took a piece of folded up paper from his bag and handed it to Yutaka.

Yutaka unfolded the paper. On it was a crude drawing (done in crayon) of a device that looked no bigger than a game boy. He could make out a screen near the top of it and many different buttons adorning the bottom. It was light blue and green.

But what really struck a cord with him was the fact that he had seen this device before. He remembered how, at Christmastime, Tommy had always insisted on carrying this thing around with him, claiming he didn't want it to break. Yutaka was beginning to think there was more to it than just that.

He lifted his head, ready to ask Chikao a flurry of questions, but he was already gone, having unlocked Yutaka's door himself.

"Yutaka?" Yutaka was brought back to the present by the sound of his little brother's worried voice.

Yutaka stared at him for a moment, pondering over his next actions. Should he tell Tommy what he already knew about Takuya's cousin? Or did he already know?

"Tommy, what is this?" asked Yutaka, holding up the drawing of the strange device.

Tommy's eyes widened. "Where did you get that?" he asked with urgency.

"Tommy, I'm going crazy with worry here! Please, you can trust me! I won't tell anyone! Just tell me what's going on!" Yutaka grabbed Tommy's shoulders, staring him straight in the eye.

Tommy closed his eyes, deliberating for a moment. Finally he came to a decision, getting his D-Tector from his pocket.

"Follow me," he said quietly, motioning for the back door.

Yutaka followed, not having the slightest clue what he was getting himself into.

—

_madjack89:_ I could go on and on with this plot, but I'll save the other stuff for the next chapter!

_Takuya:_ How nice.

_madjack89:_ You guys are so sarcastic!

_Kouji:_ Yeah, whatever.

_Tommy:_ I did get a more prominent role! Hooray!

_madjack89:_ I'm glad somebody's happy!

_Kouichi:_ Had to be Duskmon, didn't it?

_madjack89:_ Sorry Chief.

_Kouichi:_ Yeah, I guess I should have seen it coming anyway.

_madjack89:_ That's the spirit! Alright, see you laters!


	25. Ch 23: Out of Love

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 23: Out of Love**

_madjack89:_ Holy crapmon! Twenty-three chapters and I'm still going strong!

_Takuya:_ Holy what?

_Kouji:_ What the hell is a crapmon?

_Shino:_ Apparently you guys have never heard of Digimon in a Nutshell.

_Takuya and Kouji:_ Digimon in a what?

_Tommy:_ Shut up fo I break you sucka!

_Takuya:_ What…?

_Kazemon:_ Weeeeeee! *_flies by*_

_Kouji:_ What the hell!

_Takuya:_ Kouichi, control your girlfriend!

_Kouichi:_ I can't!

_Takuya:_ Why not?

_Kouichi:_ Somebody sent us these cookies and she ate them and so did Tommy and then they just went nuts and I don't know!

_JP:_ Come on down, Zoe.

_Kazemon:_ NEVER!

_Shino:_ Dude, these are crack cookies!

_Kouji:_ What!

_Kouichi:_ Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god…

_Takuya:_ Who sent these cookies?

_madjack89:_ Hey, who took my cookies?

_Everyone: …_

_Kouji:_ Well that explains a lot.

_Kazemon and Tommy:_ Woohoo!

_madjack89:_ O-kay? I'm gonna start answering reviews now.

_*break*_

_hazeleyedharmony:_ Thanks for the complimenting! You make me feel special like that! And just keep reading to see Kouichi's FURTHER reaction to Duskmon (heh heh heh).

_greywindfalcon:_ Sorry you missed it (I was wondering where you were)! But yeah…7:11...hee hee! Actually, I didn't expect this story to get that far myself (didn't think anyone would like it)! But now I got a rep to protect! Woohoo! Alright, well thanks!

_kyokoaurora:_ Thanks! Yeah, Yutaka's in for a real shocker (ha)! But glad you like that chapter; I think it's one of my favorites too!

_garnettfox:_ Okay then! I understand now! And yes dragramon, you can hang out for a while (_Kouji:_No!). Shut up, Kouji. (_Kouji: grrr…_) Alrighty, thanks for le review!

_GoldenDragon326: _Yup, there is Duskmon. (Darth Vader theme) Heh! And Shino will meet you in chapter twenty! (_Shino:_ I'll bring snacks. Woot.) Thanks for the reviewing!

_aluminion:_ That's a good guess! And I'm glad you got to review! Thanks!

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Okay, time for the chapter!

_Takuya:_ Believe it!

_Kouji:_ No! No more!

_Note: I don't actually eat crack cookies. I don't do drugs! I'm a DARE kid! Yeah! And I don't smoke and drink! _

—

"You're what?" Takuya exclaimed, turning around as best he could.

Gatomon quickly shushed him, pricking her ears up for a moment. Then she relaxed. "Keep quiet!" she whispered. "It'll be easier to escape if Wizardmon thinks you're still unconscious."

Takuya nodded slowly, trying to work this out in his head. Gatomon was in love…with Kouichi?

Gatomon smirked at his confused expression. "Weird, huh?"

"You're telling the truth?" Takuya asked quietly.

"If I helped you escape, would you believe me?" Gatomon asked, slipping her paws out of her bindings.

Takuya stared at her, completely dumbfounded. "How did you…?"

"Biding my time." Gatomon shrugged, reaching over to untie Takuya. "Your D-Tector is on the shelf over your bed."

Takuya broke out of his bindings, rubbing his sore wrists. Gatomon got up, making a move to open the closet. "Get ready. We'll have to fight our way out," she hissed, teeth and claws bared.

"Wait," Takuya said quickly, holding up his hand. "I think you need to explain a few things."

Gatomon lowered her paws, staring at Takuya patiently.

"Okay, first of all, how did Chikao get involved with Wizardmon?"

Gatomon frowned. "That's killing you, isn't it?" Takuya nodded.

"Alright," she sighed, sitting back down. "We'll hold off our escape until you're all caught up on the situation.

"First off, Wizardmon met up with your cousin by chance. There wasn't any planning involved; it just happened. He was limping along after transporting us and I was trying to support him-"

Takuya glared at her suspiciously. Gatomon glared back. "Takuya, he's still my brother, despite what he's done. What would you do?"

Takuya sighed. "Good point. Continue."

"Anyway," Gatomon continued, "I wasn't paying attention to what was in front of us until I bumped right into a human's leg. It turned out that human was your cousin."

Gatomon paused, gauging Takuya's reaction. "I guess it's my fault that he got involved with Wizardmon," she muttered. "I'm sorry."

Takuya stared at her, looking surprised. "What do you have to be sorry about? It's your brother's fault. No offense, but he's an ass."

Gatomon smiled. "Thank you, Takuya. I thought you hated me."

Takuya shrugged. "Maybe I'm getting over it."

"Well, to explain why your cousin is helping Wizardmon," Gatomon said, continuing her explanation, "he was actually a little confused at first."

"A little?" asked Takuya. "That's an understatement."

"Actually, it's not," Gatomon said bluntly. "Takuya, your cousin knew what Digimon were right when he saw Wizardmon. He didn't see me at first because of my tail ring, but when he did, he didn't freak out at all. He shrugged all of that off."

Takuya eyes widened. "But that's impossible. He can't…"

"Which leads me to one very likely conclusion," said Gatomon. "Your cousin has been to the Digital World before."

"Excellent deduction."

Gatomon turned quickly to see who had said this. Takuya merely stared at his cousin. "Chikao…"

Chikao smirked. "You're curious. Fine then. I'll tell you about my ill-fated trip to the Digital World."

—

JP stopped just inches from the park's pond, stepping right on a flower garden. He really could have cared less at that moment though, because a few feet from him stood Tomoyo, tears streaking her face.

"Tomoyo," JP began, thinking of what to say. This was a new and confusing experience for him. He always knew what to say to make things right. It was only Tomoyo that got him tongue-tied. It was frustrating, but strangely it was almost amusing to JP. But not now. He needed the right words to make things right, and they wouldn't come.

"JP," Tomoyo muttered, making JP jump. She raised her head to look at him for a moment.

Suddenly, she began to laugh. JP stared at her, confused beyond believe. _Wasn't she crying?_ he thought stupidly.

Tomoyo laughed for a few more minutes and then began to calm down enough to talk. "I just think that it's funny, JP!" she said happily.

"What's funny? I thought you were upset! I was worried you were gonna do something stupid like drown yourself in the pond or something! Tell me how that is funny, Tomoyo!" JP glared at her, his concern turning to anger and disbelief.

"That's exactly what's funny, JP," Tomoyo said calmly, stopping her giggle-fit. She walked up to JP, embracing him.

JP's eyes widened when he realized that he was blushing because of her hug. "Excuse me?" he murmured, keeping his face angled away from Tomoyo.

"Well, you said that you didn't actually care about me, yet here you are, concerned for my safety," she said, smirking at JP's blush. She let go of him, stepping back to give JP some space.

JP stared at the ground. "But Tomoyo, I still-"

"Love Zoe. I heard you the first time, JP," Tomoyo said impatiently. "And I say that is not the whole truth."

"What do you mean?" JP snapped, insulted by her implication. Did she think he was lying?

Tomoyo giggled. "You're so funny, JP! I just meant that I think you've fallen in love with me too without realizing it. Remember that night we kissed? You said that you liked it, and I know that wasn't a lie."

Instead of rebuffing her, JP considered this possibility. He had been genuinely worried about her. He had blushed when she had hugged him. He had definitely enjoyed her kiss.

JP's eyes widened when he realized that the real underlying reason for his rejection of Tomoyo was to keep her safe from attacking Digimon. He was beginning to get over Zoe, truthfully, but he didn't want to be over her.

He had loved Zoe for so long now that it gave him a strange, hollow feeling to know that Tomoyo was, in fact, right. Without knowing, he had fallen in love with Tomoyo and fallen out of love with Zoe.

JP sighed. "So I have," he murmured, smiling bitterly.

"JP," Tomoyo said quietly. "I'm sorry."

JP suddenly grabbed Tomoyo, lifting her into a hug. "Nothing to be sorry for," he whispered in her ear. He smirked when he noticed her shiver. He placed her back on the ground.

She stared up at him, eyes shining. JP smiled. "Who said I couldn't be a Casanova-type figure?"

Tomoyo was about to respond when a tree branch broke not far from where they were standing. They turned to see Kouji slowly getting to his knees.

"Damn branch," he muttered, a slight quiver in his voice. JP's expression softened when he noticed Kouji's glistening eyes

Kouji's head snapped up and he realized that JP and Tomoyo were staring at him. "I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, dashing back through the trees.

Tomoyo took a step forward, but JP held her back. She stared at him questioningly. "I'll take care of this," JP said, looking at the spot where Kouji had just been. "I think I know what this is about, anyway."

Tomoyo nodded slowly. "Go ahead. I'll be right here when you get back."

JP smiled then ran for the trees, headed in the same direction as Kouji.

_Kouji,_ he thought, continuing his pursuit. _You're jealous of me, aren't you? You're jealous of us. That could have been one of the things fueling you to attack Taki._

He burst out of the trees, stopping on the park path. He glanced left and right, not knowing which way Kouji had gone. Suddenly he felt his D-Tector begin to heat up. He quickly took it from his pocket. On the screen there seemed to be some sort of tracking device with a little blue dot on it that was moving toward JP's left.

JP smiled triumphantly. "Thanks Beetlemon," he murmured, turning to his left and running along the park path.

_You're alone, _JP thought, continuing his mental reverie. _Ever since Seiko died you've felt that way, haven't you? And the only way to curb that dark crushing loneliness was to shy away from your feelings, thereby pushing everyone away._

JP smirked. "I'd better save all this for when I actually find him," he said, following the blue dot farther into the night.

—

Zoe lay on her bed, pondering things that had been bothering her for quite a while.

She closed her eyes, thinking back to the horrible night when Kouji had nearly killed Takuya. That night, Kouichi had gone into some sort of self-induced trance, mumbling about remembering something.

_But when he woke up, he didn't even remember saying anything like that,_ Zoe thought, worry entering her thoughts. _I've tried to bring it up again, but…_

She shuddered, an image of Duskmon suddenly popping into her mind. _Maybe it'll only cause him pain. _She rolled onto her side staring out her window. "Mom and Dad have been gone a while now. I wonder what's taking them so long?" She mumbled this, trying to distract herself from her thoughts, but failing.

"I want to help him, but will it only bring him grief? What if that memory is one that should be kept secret?" Zoe sighed, not knowing what to do.

Suddenly a light hit her ceiling, bathing her room in a warm glow. She glanced at her bedside table, where she found the source of the light to be her D-Tector. She picked it up, wondering what was going on.

A symbol appeared in the middle of her D-Tector's screen. She realized with a jolt that it was the symbol of the warrior of darkness.

"Kouichi?" she asked hopefully. "You know, you could have used the phone."

"Zoe," said a voice coming from the D-Tector. It was deeper than Kouichi's, but still sounded mostly like him.

"Lowemon?" Zoe asked slowly. "How are you doing this? What's going on? Where's Kouichi?"

"Follow your D-Tector and you should be able to find us," Lowemon said quickly, as if he were in a hurry. "Kouichi doesn't know I'm doing this, but right now, I don't think he would even care."

"What going on, Lowemon? Just tell me!" Zoe exclaimed angrily, tears filling her eyes.

Lowemon paused then said, "It's Duskmon. He's back."

Zoe's D-Tector dimmed then flashed again, this time with a tracker that could locate Kouichi.

Zoe sat stock-still for a few moments, eyes wide. "Duskmon," she murmured. She quickly pushed away her fear, knowing she had to go help Kouichi. Possibly even save him.

"He'll try to take his revenge," she said to herself, grabbing a coat and clutching her D-Tector tightly, "But at what cost?"

—

"Hotaru!" Daiki rushed into the living room of their house, finding Hotaru reading a book.

Hotaru looked at him, confused. "Something interesting happen in Death Note?"

"No!" Daiki cried. He thought for a second. "Well, yes, but that's not what I'm trying to say!"

He handed Hotaru his D-Tector. Hotaru looked at Daiki, instantly alert. "Trouble?" he asked, clutching his D-Tector tightly.

"Yeah," Daiki said, holding up his own D-Tector. "Kouji called and said there are some Digimon after us. He wants us to meet at Takuya's house because his family's out."

"Good thing ours is too," Hotaru said, getting up and heading for the door. "Come on. Let's go."

"Right," Daiki replied, following his cousin.

Hotaru opened the door, preparing to Spirit Evolve and get going, but there was a figure standing in front of the open door, blocking his way.

He looked down to get a better look at the Digimon. It was purple and looked a bit like an imp. It had big pointed ears, red gloves, and a red scarf. It also had a yellow smiley-face on its chest, which didn't match the scowl on its face.

Hotaru glared at the Digimon while Daiki looked at it in wonder. "Look, Taru-kun! It's making the same face Kouji makes whenever Taki does something stupid! And it's kinda cute!"

The Digimon glared at Daiki, raising its fists. "I ain't cute!" it barked, stepping forward threateningly. "And I don't appreciate bein' compared to that loser warrior o' light, thank ya very much!"

"You're welcome very much!" Daiki said happily.

"Dai, I don't think you should be trying to make friends with the Digimon that's trying to kill us," said Hotaru flatly, raising his D-Tector.

The Digimon smirked. "This guy really is all business, eh? Well, first of all, the name's Impmon, and as to killin ya, I ain't allowed to yet.

"But that don't mean I can't rough ya up a bit!"

—

Shino walked through the gates to the park, still undecided about what to do. He stopped, staring sadly at the ground.

"Kouichi's been nothing but nice to me," he said to himself. "Even though I didn't deserve it. But…"

Zoe's face flashed through his mind. He clutched his head, trying to curb the sudden wave of grief. He shook his head slowly, gritting his teeth.

"Why is it that I can't be happy, no matter what I do?" he asked, more to himself than to anyone else.

"Join the club," a familiar voice said from behind him.

He turned quickly to find Kouji sitting off to the side of the path, leaning against a tree. He was half hidden in the shadows, explaining why Shino hadn't seen him before.

Shino took a step toward Kouji. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing tears streaking Kouji's face.

Kouji raised his hand, wiping them away. "Nothing," he muttered.

"That's not the impression I'm getting," said Shino firmly, crouching down next to Kouji. "You want to talk?"

There was silence for a few moments. Then Kouji said, "You're jealous of Kouichi because you love Zoe too."

Shino's eyes narrowed. "We're not here to talk about my problems," he said quietly.

"I can help you make the right choice, at the least," Kouji retorted. "Let me tell you a little story."

"I've heard the Digital World story before. Kouichi sacrificed himself like the goody-two-shoes self-sacrificing guy he is," said Shino impatiently. "I don't want to hate him, but I just wish I could be like that. Maybe then Zoe would be with me."

Kouji smirked. "You're more like him right now than you know."

Shino stared at him, feeling confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're having a battle inside yourself right now between doing what is right or allowing yourself to be consumed by your darker side in order to get what you want," said Kouji. "Kouichi had a similar problem."

Shino's eyes widened. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"We left out a piece of the story," said Kouji, staring Shino straight in the eye. "Kouichi didn't get to the Digital World the same way the rest of us did.

"When he chased after me and missed the elevator, he made the quick decision to run down the steps. When he ran down them, h-he tripped and f-fell." Kouji paused, trying to stop his voice from trembling too much.

"When he woke up, he was in the darkest part of the Digital World. We call it the Dark Area, but I don't think it technically has a name.

"Anyway, when he was there, he thought he had died. All he could think about was how our dad had abandoned Mom and him. Slowly, his anger began to consume him."

Kouji paused again, fists clenching. "That's when Cherubimon showed up."

"Cherubimon," Shino whispered thoughtfully. "The corrupted Celestial Digimon that you stopped, right?"

Kouji nodded. "He held five of the legendary warrior spirits. Four he turned into his servants. And the fifth…he gave to Kouichi."

Shino gasped. "But you said that the spirits Cherubimon held were corrupted!"

"Exactly," said Kouji. "Cherubimon gave Kouichi Lowemon's corrupted spirit, called Duskmon. Kouichi was all alone and he was filled with hate. Duskmon's spirit consumed him, and he truly became the corrupted warrior of darkness."

Kouji closed his eyes. "In fact, we had a few intense battles. He almost killed me more times than I'd like to think about…and so did I."

Shino stared at Kouji, shock apparent on his face. Kouji smirked. "As you can see, we eventually managed to purify the spirit, and him. It's not something we usually like to talk about.

"The reason we didn't tell you before was so you wouldn't develop preconceived notions about Kouichi before you even got the chance to know him."

Kouji finished his story, gauging Shino's reaction. Shino was holding his head in his hands, looking torn.

Kouji sighed. "Kouichi almost lost his battle. But I know you won't lose yours. You are a good person, unlike me."

"You're all better people than me," Shino mumbled through his fingers. "I'm losing myself already. All it will take is a push off the edge, just like Kouichi."

Kouji was silent, getting lost in his own thoughts once again. Finally he said, "You'll make the right decision. Now, could you do me a favor and head over to Takuya's? Everyone else will be there. Tell them I'll be there in a little bit."

Shino got slowly to his feet. "Alright," he muttered, running back along the path.

—

_madjack89:_ Alright guys, how was that? I can't take too much longer because my sister is yelling at me (she's even trying to tell me what to write)! C'mon, who's the author here? Gosh!

_Takuya:_ But you're still doing a commentary?

_madjack89:_ I said I wouldn't take TOO much longer.

_Takuya:_ I see.

_Zoe:_ My head hurts…

_madjack89:_ Sorry Zo. My bad!

_Tommy:_ My head hurts too, but I still love cookies.

_Daiki:_ That's the spirit!

_Kouji:_ Dai, sometimes I can honestly say I have no idea how you are our age.

_Daiki:_ It's called anime, Kouji!

_Kouji:_ Point taken.

_madjack89:_ Oh, and guys, I haven't mentioned this yet, but because of several time skips, Kouji, Kouichi and Kira are now 13, so happy birthday to them!

_Kouji and Kouichi:_ Okay.

_Kira:_ Sweet! I'm older than Taki!

_Kouji:_ Still not older than me, Yankee.

_Kira:_ Shut up, bandana boy!

_Shino:_ You know, we haven't done a "what happens in the next chapter" blurb in a while.

_madjack89:_ That's because I've been winging it!

_JP:_ Perfect strategy.

_madjack89:_ Hey, you guys winged it half the time in the Digital World.

_Takuya:_ She got us there.

_madjack89:_ Okay everyone, here's the last bit of exciting news! I might get TWO chapters up this week because I have a day off from school! Hooray!

_Takuya:_ Yay!

_madjack89:_ Alright, see you later!


	26. Ch 24: Numb

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier – Chapter 24: Numb**

_madjack89:_ And here we are at chapter 24! We've come a long way, and there's still so much more to come!

_Takuya:_ Yeah, like "what the hell, Chikao!"

_Kouji:_ You are making me freaking emo!

_madjack89:_ Shut up, pretty boy!

_Kira:_ Woot, go Madjack!

_Kouji:_ Shut up, Yankee!

_Kira:_ Pretty boy!

_Kouichi:_ Well, this is a loud intro.

_Zoe:_ Madjack, just start answering reviews, will you?

_madjack89:_ Sure. Nothing good can come of this since everyone's in a bad mood anyway.

_Shino:_ Isn't that kind of your fault?

_madjack89:_ …Well hey, I guess it is! Ha!

_Takuya:_ How's that funny?

_Zoe:_ That's it; I'm pulling up the first review.

_*break*_

_agoodcupoftea:_ I keep answering your reviews even though you're not up to this point in the story yet, but oh well! You'll read them eventually! Thanks!

_JewelledTears:_ I try to update quickly because I know how it feels to be left in suspense (and I hate it)! It's okay that you missed a few, I don't mind! This isn't going to be a xover fic, though. Sorry! Good luck with your exam and sorry you don't get a holiday too! Thanks!

_GoldenDragon326:_ (_Shino:_ You're welcome.) Yay for getting out of school! Woohoo! Thanks for reviewing and remember that what doesn't kill you usually succeeds in a second attempt! (Spongebob!)

_hazeleyedharmony:_ Wow, this review is amazing! Cookies for you! I think this is one of my favorite reviews that I've gotten (though I love all my reviews!). You gave an opinion on everything! Thanks for the feedback and sorry my answer isn't as long as your review!

_Kayland Elric: _Yeah, clumsy little Kouji (heh heh)! But he was a little upset, so I suppose it's justified. And holy crap, I gotta get to the mall and find that live action Death Note DVD (can't now though)! I just know it's gonna be sweet! (_Daiki:_ Heck yes!)Me and Dai can even watch it together and give you our opinions. Hooray! Thanks for reviewing! (And by the way, my Death Note fic is finally done and uploaded! Hooray!)

_kyokoaurora:_ Yays! Two chappies this week! Woohoo! Thanks for reviewing!

_Megmo8214:_ Thanks! And I remember that episode; that made me laugh! Now that you mention it, I may have to bring him back…(_Kouji:_ For the love of God, no!) But anyway, I checked out your stuff on deviantart. It was cool! Wish I could do that! Thanks again!

_garnettfox:_ Those names sound cool! Did you come up with them on your own? For the names of the OCs in this story, I looked them up on a baby name website! Except for Kira, actually (I already had that one in mind)! Okay, thank you and I promise to stay nice to Tommy! (_Tommy:_ Hooray!)

_*break*_

_madjack89:_ Okays, time for chappie numero veinte y cuatro! (I take Spanish!)

—

Kouichi glared at Duskmon, hate burning through him. Everything that had happened to him because of this Digimon's mere spirit; all the hardship he had been put through came flooding into his thoughts, fueling the fiery hate.

"Aw, you're mad," said Duskmon, smirking (or whatever. You can't really see his face, so…). "I'm glad you remember me."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just kill you right now," Kouichi growled, hand glowing with data. Before he could Spirit Evolve, however, Duskmon popped up behind him, grabbing his D-Tector.

"I'm not here to fight, just to talk," he said in an attempt at being good-natured. It sounded more like a threat coming from him.

Kouichi whipped his head around, eyes burning with hatred. "Give me that right now," he whispered threateningly.

"C'mon Kouichi, what kind of attitude is that?" Duskmon walked casually around Kouichi. Kouichi followed him with his eyes the whole time, not even blinking.

"Why are you here?" Kouichi asked, still staring Duskmon down. "You said you wanted to talk, so let's."

Duskmon stared back at Kouichi, seeming annoyed by his question. Finally he gave Kouichi an answer. "Revenge."

Kouichi kept a cool expression on his face, though he was confused by Duskmon's answer. "Revenge, huh?" he said. "Isn't that what did it with me? Who'd you get this time?"

Duskmon glared at him. "I'm talking about my revenge against your brother. And your friends, for that matter.

"If it weren't for them," Duskmon continued quietly, "I'd still be bonded to you. I'll bet you didn't know that being bonded to a human increases a Digimon's power."

"I've seen the other Digimon seasons," snapped Kouichi impatiently. "So what? Your sense of vengeance brought you back from the dead?"

"Not quite, but I suppose we can leave it at that," Duskmon shrugged, taking a step toward Kouichi. Kouichi flinched involuntarily, taking a small step backwards.

"So you are still scared of me," Duskmon pondered.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Kouichi cried angrily. "But you aren't making this very fair, are you? So you're just going to kill me right here, right now?"

"Well, that would be a good way to get my revenge," said Duskmon. "But as it turns out, you're important enough to keep alive a little while longer. I've been given orders not to kill you, and I'll abide by that."

"Okay, next question," Kouichi hissed, anger growing. "If you aren't here to kill me, why are you here? Who is giving you orders?"

Duskmon chuckled. "You always were curious. That's exactly what got you into trouble. Curiosity killed the cat, after all."

Kouichi's eyes narrowed at the accurate analogy. "Are you mocking me now?"

"Perhaps," Duskmon replied. "You know, that warrior of wind is quite pretty," said Duskmon, changing the subject.

"Leave her out of this!" Kouichi yelled, his anger finally boiling over. "I thought I was through with you back in the Digital World! Why can't you just leave me alone? I turned away from the darkness, so why does it keep following me?"

Duskmon paused before replying. "I heard how you attacked your brother. What was it, a baseball bat?"

"That's it!" Kouichi exclaimed, lunging at Duskmon. Duskmon reacted quickly, jumping over Kouichi and kicking him square in the back, causing him to hit the concrete sidewalk hard. Duskmon landed gracefully beside Kouichi, surveying the damage.

Kouichi's vision went in and out of focus. He had the fleeting thought that he had hit his head on the sidewalk, but he couldn't get his jumbled thoughts in order.

Suddenly Duskmon grabbed Kouichi by the back of his shirt collar, holding him in the air in front of him. Kouichi choked, unable to breathe.

"You're so fragile," murmured Duskmon, tossing Kouichi unceremoniously in a bush. "But now I know that I can get to you. That should work to my advantage."

He tossed Kouichi's D-Tector in the bush as well. Kouichi got shakily to his knees, clutching his D-Tector.

"You can't fight me with the shape you're in," Duskmon said, turning around. "One more thing before I go," he added over his shoulder. "Do you know the best way to a Miss Kira Ishiko's home?"

Kouichi's eyes widened in fear. "Kira…"

"I'll just find it on my own, then." Duskmon chuckled. "Give my regards to your girlfriend." Then Duskmon was gone, leaving Kouichi alone and aching. In a bush.

—

Takuya stared at his cousin, shock crossing his face. "Your trip to the…Digital World?"

"I knew it," whispered Gatomon, slumping back down on the ground. "I suppose if you're going to have a flashback I might as well get comfortable."

Chikao glared at her. "You know, I don't really like you," he said bluntly.

"The feeling is mutual," Gatomon replied cockily.

"Feeling confident without your brother around, huh?" Chikao chuckled. "Poor little kitty cat."

"Watch it," Gatomon growled.

Chikao smiled at her. "I think Taki's gonna die of curiosity if I don't tell you this story soon."

Gatomon glanced at Takuya and heaved a sigh. "Go on," she muttered grudgingly.

"Good," Chikao murmured, turning to face Takuya. "Okay, here's how it goes. You remember your ninth birthday, right?"

Takuya nodded, staring at the floor. "How could I forget?" he whispered half to himself. "It was the day I got these," he added, touching his goggles lightly.

Chikao's eyes narrowed. "Those goggles have a certain legacy, I guess. Maybe you'll pass them down to your little buddy Tommy after you lose…"

He paused. "We'll get to that in a second," he said evenly, as if he were trying to stop his voice from cracking.

Takuya was starting to wonder what kind of story Chikao was going to tell him. Although he was pretty sure it didn't have a happy ending.

"It all started on the morning of the twelfth of August. I got up, went through my regular morning routine, and got ready to head over to your party."

Chikao smirked. "I also called my girlfriend. You know how cute she always thought you were. She wanted to be there for your birthday."

Takuya smiled wistfully. "She was nice." Then he frowned. "But didn't she…?"

"I lied," Chikao said flatly. "She never broke up with me. Quite the opposite.

"Now I have a question for you, buddy," Chikao continued, looking intently at Takuya. "Did you ever see Mitsuki again after that, even once?"

Takuya cocked his head, getting lost. "Not really, but I didn't see you, either…"

Chikao paused, chuckling softly. "That's because she's dead."

Takuya stared at Chikao for several seconds, not comprehending what he had heard. "Quit kidding around, Chikao. She can't be…"

"If you'd been paying attention, you'd know that she had supposedly gone missing the day after you're birthday. But she'll never be found, not even her remains. She was killed and scanned in the Digital World, and she's never coming back."

"No," Takuya muttered quietly. "That…it can't be…"

"I see," said Gatomon.

"Wait a minute!" Takuya exclaimed. "Kouichi was scanned too, and he came back!"

"Takuya, Kouichi was only in the Digital World in spirit. I don't think it's the same." Gatomon sighed. "That girl is truly dead."

Takuya's eyes brimmed with tears. "No…"

Chikao stared at the ground. "I knew you'd cry. I did too, for a while." He snapped his head back up. "But I'm through with tears. I've become too numb for that."

He placed his hand on his heart. "That day, we were running late. We were told that there would be a subway down on the bottom floor of Shibuya Station that could get us to your house on time.

"We took an elevator down, but realized too late that it was the wrong one. We began dropping faster and faster. We thought the elevator cables had broken. Finally though, we stopped and the elevator doors opened.

"We stepped out and found one solitary train sitting in an immense station. I thought that we should just go back, that this obviously wasn't the place we were looking for. But she said that it could be an adventure, and she dragged me over to the train. We got in and soon, we were on our way.

"As you can well imagine, I was scared as hell of the Digimon at first. Not Mitsuki, though. She just thought they were adorable."

Chikao's face stayed cold. "It's amazing how that memory can't even cause me joy anymore."

Takuya shuddered. "What happened, Chikao? What happened to her?"

Chikao sighed. "Actually, I believe I saw the culprit in the paper recently. One of the legendary warriors."

Takuya frowned. "It would have to be one of the formerly corrupted warriors."

"You guessed it," Chikao said dully. "We got a little taste of Digimon history while we were there. That is, before he attacked."

"That rules out Ranamon," Gatomon stated, ticking it off on her paws.

Chikao nodded. "The village we were in was attacked, destroyed, and scanned. As far as I know, I was the only survivor. The attacking Digimon didn't show any mercy, claiming he would find his beast spirit under the village.

"As it turned out, he was right. But before he could grab it, someone stepped in front of him, making him stop."

Chikao paused again. "Mitsuki tried to convince him to stop what he was doing; to see the error in his ways. I don't think she knew where I was. Some debris had fallen on me, pinning me to the ground. I couldn't stop her; couldn't protect her.

"The Digimon sneered at her, then lashed out with his arm, hitting her square in the head. The force of that was enough to kill her, if you ask me. But of course, he had to make sure, so he scanned her, right before my eyes.

"I was devastated, as you can well imagine. I didn't even bother trying to move for the next day or so. I knew people would be worried where I was, but I didn't care.

"During that time, I went through a change. I won't bore you with the details of how I got back, but when I did, I had changed. I wasn't the same happy-go-lucky person I was before. I'm a hollow shell of my former self.

"I didn't want to upset you, so I distanced myself from you. From everyone, actually. And after all these years, I've become an uncaring, numb person. I just don't care anymore. That's why I'm doing this. Work out the details on your own."

Takuya stared at his cousin, tears rolling down his cheek. "Chikao…I'm so sorry."

Gatomon nodded. "But, if you don't mind my asking, who was the legendary warrior that attacked you?"

Chikao smiled. "It was none other than Arbormon. Or Shino, as I'm told."

—

Shino ran. That was all he could do at this point. He couldn't go home; he couldn't go to Takuya's home. He was still undecided, after all.

A million thoughts ran through his head, none of them very good.

_It's more than justified if you took away his happiness now…he deserves what he gets…you haven't done anything wrong, unlike him…think about Duskmon…_

"Damn it!" Shino stopped, stooping over to catch his breath. He pushed his more violent thoughts out of his head, trying to be rational.

"Kouichi doesn't deserve that," he murmured to himself, partially trying to convince himself of these facts. "It isn't like his situation was much different from mine. I can learn from his mistakes; I can move on. Zoe's happy; that's all that should matter. We can still be friends. Right?"

He suddenly heard footsteps coming up the street. Before the person saw him, he ducked behind the bushes of a house to his left. He didn't particularly know why, he was just a raw nerve.

As he peered out from the bush, he recognized the girl sprinting up the street, D-Tector in hand.

Shino groaned softly. _It had to be Zoe, didn't it?_

He tried to stay completely still so she wouldn't notice him. She'd definitely pick up on his slightly panicky mood, and that wouldn't help make his decision any easier.

He held his breath as she passed. Before she was completely out of earshot, however, he caught a snatch of what she was muttering to herself. "Hang on Kouichi; I'm on my way. Duskmon is going to pay if anything happened…"

She rounded the corner and was gone. Shino got slowly to his feet, smiling to himself. "She really loves him," he said. "She's putting herself in harms way just for him."

Though he was confused by the reappearance of Duskmon, he knew he couldn't follow Zoe to find out what was going on. That was Kouichi's show.

He knew he had somewhere else he needed to be. "Hang on, Taki," said Shino, using Takuya's nickname, which he normally didn't do. "Here I come!"

—

JP stopped, seeing Kouji running toward him. He stared at Kouji, confused.

"Correct me if I'm wrong Kouji, but weren't you running away from me a second ago?" JP asked as Kouji stopped in front of him. "Does this mean I don't get to give you a talk?"

Kouji smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry about that," he said apologetically. "I guess I was just kind of…"

"Jealous?" JP finished Kouji's sentence.

Kouji nodded, slightly embarrassed. JP grinned, putting his arm over Kouji's shoulders. "Don't worry about it. We understand. But, for the sake of my nerves and everyone else's, please don't go running off again. There is such a thing as talking, you know."

Kouji smiled back. "I'll keep that in mind." He glanced around suddenly, seeming to be looking for something. "JP, where's Tomoyo?"

JP's smile faded. "I left her by the pond to go look for you. Why?"

Kouji's eyes widened. "Because she has a connection with us that the Digimon could exploit to their advantage!"

JP's shoulders drooped. "Oh my god…" he muttered despairingly. "We have to get back to that pond!"

—

_madjack89:_ Sorry that the two chapter promise didn't work out, but it took me a week to get this file on a computer that actually worked! I'm very, very sorry!

_Takuya:_ She on her knees right now, if you don't believe her.

_Kira: _Poor Madjack.

_madjack89:_ Thank you Kira.

_Tommy:_ So no two chapters?

_madjack89: _Well, I may still be able to get the other chapter done and uploaded by at least Sunday, but don't get uber excited. I still have to go to the mall and get my Death Note DVD, after all!

_Daiki:_ Hooray!

_madjack89: _On a lighter note, I think that since I made you guys wait, I'll give you a sneak peek of that Kouji-Seiko story I promised you!

_Kouji:_ Hate…you!

_madjack89: _Yeah, whatever. Okay, let's get to the magical sneak peek!

—

She confused me. She was one of the most annoying people I had ever met. People always avoided me because I wanted them to. I MADE them with the way I acted. But I wanted companionship more than anything. I craved it. The thing I didn't want was the paralyzing fear that one day they would leave me, just like everyone else in my life.

Then I met her, and she shone her light through my hazy cloud of darkness and despair. She showed me that I could be different; that I could make friends if I tried, and not be afraid of the consequences. She taught me to live in the moment, and I loved every minute of it.

After a while, I realized that it was actually her that I loved. But since this is a story, I should probably explain that a bit further with a couple of flashbacks, because you guys would most likely appreciate that more, wouldn't you? Of course you would. (That's the spirit, Kouji!) Get out of my story! (Awww…)

—

_madjack89:_ Alright guys, see you next time I update. Once again, sorry! I didn't anticipate computer troubles!


	27. Ch 25: Still

Frontier 02: Home Frontier- Chapter 25: Still

_madjack89:_ That Death Note movie was amazing!

_Daiki:_ Yay!

_madjack89:_ It was so intense it made me tremble with excitement!

_Daiki:_ I was bouncing up and down by the end!

_madjack89 and Daiki:_ Hee hee hee!

_Zoe:_ Ah, kids and their Death Note.

_Kouichi:_ Even though kids really shouldn't be watching Death Note.

_madjack89:_ Excuse me, who's the sixteen year old here?

_Kouichi:_ You.

_Daiki:_ And she was giving me parental guidance!

_madjack89:_ That's right!

_Hotaru:_ It was pretty good.

_JP:_ You saw it too?

_Takuya:_ I think by now it goes without saying that Hotaru is like Daiki's shadow/stalker, right Kouichi? Because you would know ALL about that!

_Kouichi:_ Someone cover Tommy's ears while I tell Takuya exactly what I think about him right now.

_madjack89:_ In that case, I'll answer reviews while you do that.

_Kayland Elric:_ Death Note was indeed awesome! And for more Kouichi/Duskmon interaction, check out the next few chapters (it's not over yet)! Thanks for the review!

_greywindfalcon:_ Aw, that's cool! People out there still appreciate the awesomeness of Digimon after all (hooray)! And cookies are awesome, even if they make you hyper! Thank you very much! (Oh, and sorry bout the computer issues once again!)

_GoldenDragon326:_ I didn't actually know that curiosity killed the cat had a 2nd line! Thanks for telling me! It's one of the newer Spongebob's that I got the other quote from. I am aware that it's not necessarily true, but it never fails to make me laugh (ha)! Thanks for reviewing!

_hazeleyedharmony:_ Thanks for another awesome review! And just to rest your fears, this story will be continuing for a while now (I can't get enough either)! Thanks also for the energy drinks!

_kyokoaurora:_ Don't cry, they'll be in the next chapter! Have no fear! Thanks for reviewing!

_aluminion:_ Is everyone who reads my story a twin (heh heh)? Oh well, twins are cool. I know a few twins myself, and they are quite nice (though I don't believe they have twin powers either)! Oh well. Thanks for the review!

_garnettfox:_ Oh my god, darkkittymon! That's awesome! (_Kouichi:_ Of course.) The others are cool too! You have some pretty wicked ideas! Woohoo! Thanks for reviewing!

_bobmanv2.0:_ Well, the original six still have theirs, but they haven't felt the immediate need to use them (until now)! The other four, minus Shino, don't yet have them. But that may change soon! Thanks for reviewing!

_Kouichi:_ …and you are just retarded!

_Takuya:_ …

_JP:_ I think he just exhausted every cuss word known to man.

_Kouji:_ That was just…wow.

_Tommy:_ Even just watching him say that stuff was scary.

_Kira:_ That was pretty wicked, I gotta say.

_Zoe:_ …Kouichi?

_madjack89:_ Well, now that Kouichi's put everyone in shock, let's start the chapter! Woohoo!

_Everyone:_ …

--

Kira stared dully out her window, bored. She had already tried calling Takuya about fifty times, but he just wasn't picking up. Then she had called Zoe. Still no response. She tried calling everyone to get the same thing. She had even called Kouji, but to no avail.

"Man, where the hell is everybody tonight? It's like they all just disappeared or something." She stretched her arms, contemplating what she could do on a night like tonight.

Suddenly a shape outside her window caught her eye. She opened it wide, sticking her head out to look for the thing she had seen. When she found nothing, she shrugged, beginning to close her window.

As she was doing this, something struck her window just above her head, causing it to shatter. She cringed as the debris rained down around her, cutting into her skin painfully. After she was sure it was over, she glanced up to survey the damage.

What she saw was a crooked-looking sword protruding from the window frame, just above her head. She also noticed that the sword was connected to the arm of a sinister looking Digimon balanced on her windowsill, glaring down at her. The other large eyes protruding from several places on its body were swiveling grotesquely as if they were watching their surroundings.

Kira shuddered slightly, backing up from the window and grabbing her D-Tector from her dresser. "You know, you are one ugly little monster," Kira said, smirking. "But you have terrible aim. Try going for the head next time."

The Digimon retracted its sword, continuing to glower at her. "You're just like him, aren't you? That annoying little pest who interfered last time."

Kira smiled knowingly. "You must be talking about Taki." Her hand glowed with data. "Sorry he's not here at the moment. Guess you'll have to settle for me! Spirit Evolution!"

With that Kira became Ranamon and quickly crouched down in case this Digimon decided to swing a sword at her again.

The other Digimon gripped what remained of her window, tearing it out of her wall and dropping it to the streets below. It stepped slowly into Kira's room, seemingly ignoring her fighting pose and instead examining her room's décor.

Ranamon stared at it, wide-eyed and confused. "Hey, what the hell? You just come destroy my property and try to take my head off, and then you ignore me?"

The Digimon glanced at her. "Apparently he hasn't told you," it said to itself, chuckling quietly. "That just proves how pathetic he is." It then turned its head to face Ranamon. "My name is Duskmon. I've been ordered to show you legendary warriors how outmatched you are, and to shake your confidence. But not to kill you."

"Well you aren't doing your job very well!" Ranamon jumped into the air, meaning to catch Duskmon off guard and land on his back. However, Duskmon quickly grabbed Ranamon's leg and in the same swing hurled her out the hole left by her broken window.

Thinking fast, she grabbed a flag pole sticking out of her building before she smashed head-first into the concrete. She let go of the pole, landing clumsily on her feet. In the same instant Duskmon was behind her, pressing his sword to her neck.

"Scared yet?" he asked mockingly.

"Bastard," Ranamon muttered angrily, trying to shake off her fear. After all, it looked like she was on her own here. Everyone else would be engaged in some other activity tonight, she was sure.

But would all the Digimon abide by the rule that they would not kill any of them? Would Duskmon?

--

"Badda-boom!" A small fire formed at Impmon's fingertip, blasting in Daiki's direction. Hotaru quickly grabbed Daiki's arm, pulling him out of the way of the flame.

Hotaru glared at Impmon. Impmon merely smirked. "Am I cute now, short stuff?" he asked mockingly, turning to face Daiki.

Daiki looked at Impmon and smiled. "Actually, my name is Daiki, Dai for short. And this is Hotaru. What brings you here, anyway?"

Impmon stared at Daiki, not sure how to respond. Was this kid really that stupid?

Hotaru backed up slowly, pushing Daiki behind him. He still wasn't sure whether Impmon could Digivolve or not, and he wanted to be prepared for the worst.

Impmon glared at Daiki angrily, pulling his glove tighter over his hand (or paw or something). "You sure are an annoyin' lil' brat, ain't cha'?" He then leaped into the air, aiming his pointer finger at Daiki. "I'll just have ta fix that!"

Before Impmon could unleash his attack, Hotaru grabbed a pillow from the couch and swung it at Impmon, hitting him and causing him to fly right into a wall. Impmon fell to the ground with a thud.

Daiki looked at Impmon with pity as he slowly rose to his feet. "Are you okay, Impmon?"

Impmon glared at Daiki with pure hatred. "What's the matter wit' you? I'm tryin' ta kill ya! Don't you care at all?"

Daiki's expression grew somber. "Maybe I don't," he murmured to himself.

Impmon's glare grew quizzical. "What, are ya suicidal now?"

"Shut up and get out of our house before I make you get out," Hotaru said firmly, cutting off Daiki's response. He brought his D-Tector up slowly, ready to Spirit Evolve.

Impmon looked at the device warily. "Ya ain't seriously gonna try that in your house, are ya?"

"Try me," Hotaru growled menacingly, hand beginning to glow. "Spirit Ev-"

"Fine then, I'll leave!" Impmon said, putting his hands up in surrender and backing up toward the door. He glowered at both Daiki and Hotaru now, not sure which one he hated more.

"You won't have it so easy next time," Impmon said slightly hysterically. "Next time I'm gonna be able ta Digivolve, and then you'll be beggin' for mercy! You'll see!"

With that Impmon jumped up and out of site.

Hotaru glanced at the door, then turned his attention to his cousin. "Dai," he began, not sure how to phrase what he was about to say. "You didn't really mean…"

Daiki looked up at Hotaru and smiled. "Don't get yourself worried over nothing, Hotaru. If I wanted to die, I think I could've done it by now."

Hotaru's expression still showed traces of worry as he smiled slightly. "I guess that's true," he said. He then turned back to the door. "Let's get to Takuya's house before anything else tries to attack us."

"Okie-dokey!" Daiki said happily, trying to put morbid thoughts out of his head. "Hey, you know what I think?"

"What do you think, Dai?" Hotaru asked as he closed the door to their house.

"I think Impmon is my favorite Digimon I've seen so far!"

Hotaru smirked at Daiki's bubbliness. "Dai, you really are something."

"Thank you very much," Daiki replied, taking this as a compliment. "Now off to Taki's house!"

--

_madjack89:_ This isn't the end of the chapter, but I just thought that this would be a good opportunity to tell you guys that all these morbid thoughts that everyone is having don't reflect my own thoughts. I'm not suicidal, and I don't plan on being suicidal anytime soon! We'll leave that to the depressed-emo Digimon kids.

_Everyone:_ HEY!

_madjack89:_ Alright, back to the chapter!

--

Kouichi got to his feet slowly, trying to shake off the dizziness from hitting his head. He glared at the spot where Duskmon had stood a moment before, hatred burning in his eyes.

"That bastard," he muttered angrily to himself, clutching his D-Tector tightly. "He's not better than me, right?"

Kouichi stepped out of the bush, brushing himself off. He sighed heavily, putting his hand in his pocket. "Damn it," he murmured to himself, feeling exasperated. "Why does he always have to be so…"

"Kouichi!" Kouichi turned abruptly, ready to attack whatever had called his name. He relaxed slightly when he realized that it was Zoe standing on the sidewalk, looking winded (heh).

His gaze softened when he noticed how scared she looked. "Zoe, what are you doing here?" he asked, trying not to sound angry.

She took a step forward, then hesitated. "Where's Duskmon?" she asked. "I know he was here."

Kouichi gave her a confused look. "How did you know that?"

"That doesn't matter right now, Kouichi!" she said firmly, covering the distance between them quickly. "Tell me what happened! What did he do to you?"

Kouichi glanced at the sidewalk, not answering Zoe's question.

"Kouichi," Zoe said softly, placing a hand on Kouichi's shoulder. He shrugged it off and turned away from her, staring at the moon.

Zoe tried to hide her hurt feelings as she said, "I'm not a mind-reader, Kouichi. I can't help you unless you tell me what happened."

It was quiet for a few more moments. Zoe was about to speak again when Kouichi suddenly said, "Zoe, I have a question for you." He turned around and looked her in the eye, looking serious. "I need you to answer this truthfully. Don't think about my feelings or any of that. Just answer it."

Zoe nodded slowly, curiosity apparent in her eyes.

Kouichi paused, and then asked, "Who's stronger; me or Duskmon?"

Zoe's eyes widened and she chuckled. "That's an easy question! You, of course."

"Why do you think that?" Kouichi asked, not finding her answer as funny as she had found his question.

"Kouichi, let's look at this rationally. Duskmon symbolizes all of the darkest things about darkness. That, in my opinion, makes him unstable."

"I was unstable because of Kouji. Duskmon doesn't have that to tie him down now," Kouichi stated dully.

Zoe hesitated before answering. "Well, that may be true, but you have something that Duskmon doesn't that makes you strong. It's the one thing that truly helped you beat Duskmon in the end."

Kouichi glanced at her. "And that is?"

Zoe smiled. "You have a heart, Kouichi. You have the ability to care and feel…" She paused here and twined her fingers with his. "…and love. That is what makes you more powerful than Duskmon and the darkness he symbolizes."

Kouichi chuckled mirthlessly. "If that's the case, why did this trouble with Duskmon start in the first place?"

Zoe gaze grew angry. "You need to stop blaming yourself for that. It wasn't your fault."

"It was my fault, Zoe," he said firmly, pulling his hand away from hers. "I could have refused Duskmon's spirit, but I didn't. And now I have to pay the price for it."

"Why do you think you're the only one who should have to face Duskmon? You really are acting like Kouji now," Zoe said, feeling annoyed.

"If I were like Kouji," Kouichi began, raising his D-Tector, "then none of this would have happened. Beast Spirit Evolution."

Kouichi evolved into JagerLowemon (probably with a really pimpin' evolution sequence that no one gets to see because the animators are lazy!) and leaped over Zoe, headed for Kira's house.

"Kouichi, wait!" Zoe cried, Beast Spirit Evolving herself in order to follow him. She quickly covered the scant distance he had traveled.

JagerLowemon glanced at Zephyrmon. "Go to Takuya's and stop following me!"

Zephyrmon glared back at him. "Sorry, but I'm not letting you go do something stupid and get yourself killed!"

JagerLowemon growled angrily. "Kira's in danger. I think Duskmon is going to go after her." He paused, causing Zephyrmon to come clumsily to a halt mid-flight. "I'm not about to let you get hurt. I have to do this alone."

Zephyrmon smirked. "You thought that would stop me? Kira's my friend, and you are my boyfriend. Now I'm definitely coming!"

JagerLowemon sighed angrily. "Fine," he agreed grudgingly, turning around. _But if anything happens to you_, he thought,_ I won't be able to forgive myself._

--

"Arbormon," Takuya repeated to himself.

"Your friend," Chikao muttered.

"Wait a minute," Takuya said suddenly. "Shino isn't to blame for what happened. He had nothing to do with it. Shino is now the wielder of Arbormon's spirit, and I know he wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone."

Gatomon frowned. "It makes perfect sense now."

Takuya looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Who is the one who beat Wizardmon in the first place?" Gatomon asked.

"Shino," Takuya answered. "So what? What are you getting at?"

Gatomon sighed. "Takuya, I now see why Kouji has so little patience with you."

Takuya glared at her. "You gonna make fun of me, or are you gonna tell me what's going on?"

"Takuya, I don't think Wizardmon wants revenge against all of you. He wants revenge against one person in particular." She turned and looked at Takuya's cousin. "Right, Chikao?"

Chikao shrugged. "She caught him."

Takuya cocked his head. "So he wants revenge against…?"

Gatomon hung her head, exasperated. "He wants revenge against Shino for beating him!"

"Oh," Takuya said. Understanding suddenly crossed his features. "Mitsuki was killed by…" He glanced at Chikao. "Wizardmon isn't the only one looking for revenge, is he?"

Chikao chuckled to himself. "You finally understand."

Takuya's eyes narrowed. "Chikao…"

"Do you hate me now?" Chikao asked quietly. "Well, go ahead. I don't care."

"I don't hate you, Chikao," Takuya said firmly. "If I did, that would make me a little hypocritical."

Chikao stared at Takuya, looking confused for the first time. "What?"

Takuya smiled. "Well, it's just that your story is so similar to Kouji's that if I hated you for making a mistake, shouldn't I theoretically hate him?"

"Your friend's story?" Chikao asked, eyes narrowing skeptically.

Takuya nodded. "She was run down by a truck right after pushing him out of the way."

"She?" Chikao asked.

"The girl he loved," Takuya stated. "Her name was Seiko."

Chikao's eyes widened. Takuya held his hand out tentatively. "You don't have to be alone, you know," he said softly.

Before Chikao could respond, the three of them heard the door to Takuya's house open. "Hello? Takuya? Are you here?"

"Shino!" Takuya cried, pushing past Chikao and running for his bedroom door.

"Takuya?" Shino called again. "Is that you?"

"Wait Shino! Don't come in here!" Takuya burst through his door, followed by Gatomon.

Shino's eyes narrowed. He glanced at Gatomon and asked, "If she's here, where's Wizardmon?"

"Shino, look out behind you!" Gatomon suddenly yelled, noticing her brother standing in the shadows behind Shino, wand raised.

"What?" Shino turned his head just in time to see a bolt of lightening headed straight for him.

"Shino!" Takuya cried as the room lit up for a brief moment. Then everything was still.

--

_madjack89:_ Hooray, my computer troubles are finally over (knock on wood)!

_Takuya:_ Finally!

_JP:_ Yeah, it's about time we got this show back on the road!

_madjack89:_ I'm in complete agreement!

_Kouji:_ What did you do to the computer, anyway?

_madjack89:_ The monitor broke.

_Kouji:_ That sucks.

_madjack89:_ But we got a new one, so it's all good!

_Kouichi:_ That's good.

_madjack89:_ Oh, and on an unrelated note, you know what you can find on the Digimon branch of Wikipedia?

_Kira:_ Nothing having to do with me, Shino, Dai and Taru-kun?

_madjack89:_ Well, that goes without saying, but you can find pages on different Digimon couplings!

_Takuya and Kouji:_ Oh my god!

_madjack89:_ They don't have any yaoi one's, guys.

_Takuya:_ Thank goodness.

_Kouji:_ I swear…

_madjack89:_ What makes these pages funny for me is that they have a list of evidence on each of the pages to prove their point, and some of the stuff is so obscure that I really don't see how it pertains to the coupling anymore!

_Kouji:_ Like how?

_madjack89:_ Like how every time you guys merely glance at Zoe it is considered evidence of your love.

_JP:_ Heh heh…fangirls.

_Zoe:_ They never learn, do they?

_Kouichi:_ No they don't.

_madjack89:_ Alright, see you later, everybody!

_Daiki:_ Goodbye, Raye Penber.

_madjack89:_ Nice one!

_Daiki:_ Hee hee!

_Kouichi: sigh_


	28. Ch 26: Taking Us?

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier- Chapter 26: Taking Us?**

_madjack89:_ Hey everyone! I thought I'd take this opportunity to say that I apologize for taking so long with chapter 25 (and this chapter, for that matter). I'm very sorry! But, on a lighter note, we've made it all the way to chapter twenty-six! Woohoo!

_Kira:_ You never thought it would get this far, did you?

_madjack89:_ Nope, but I'm glad it did!

_Takuya:_ Guys!

_Kouji:_ What now?

_Takuya:_ Shino isn't here! I can't find him anywhere!

_Zoe:_ This doesn't have anything to do with the last chapter, does it?

_Everyone: stares at me_

_Kouji:_ You did not.

_madjack89:_ Look guys, he's just not here because I'm building up the suspense, okay?

_JP:_ Sure, that's what you want us to think, you backstabber!

_Tommy:_ You said you weren't going to kill any of us off!

_Kouji:_ Liar!

_Kouichi:_ Guys, I think we're jumping to conclusions. So Shino's not here; he'll probably turn up soon.

_Takuya:_ You have way too much faith in Madjack, Kouichi!

_Daiki:_ Actually, I have to agree. If she were to kill us off, she would do it in a much more exciting, suspenseful, heartbreaking way.

_Takuya:_ She does like to play up the drama.

_madjack89:_ That's the spirit!

_Kouji:_ You must enjoy our misery so much.

_madjack89:_ I guess so!

_Kouji: sigh_ Just start answering reviews.

_madjack89:_ Okie-dokes!

_kyokoaurora:_ I didn't think that this particular scene would be so anxiously anticipated, but that's still cool! Continue to scroll and you will finally get what you've been waiting for! Thanks for reviewing!

_garnettfox:_ I wouldn't know how to write for your character, truthfully. Sorry! But your characters seem pretty awesomely wacked-out crazy cool! And you called me Maddy (I only know two other people that call me that)! Well, thanks for reviewing!

_JewelledTears:_ Sorry if I stepped on your toes with that comment (please don't hate me)! Kouichi, help me out here! (_Kouichi:_ She didn't mean it in a bad way. Don't worry, I didn't really mind it. Besides, she meant everyone else, too.) See? Sorry again and thanks for reviewing!

_hazeleyedharmony:_ Because you've given me these cool reviews, I'm going to give you a cool answer! Here I go!

intro- It amuses me to think of Kouichi freaking out, which is why I did it! Heh!

part 1 (Kira)- I love Kira too! But the reason she's fighting Duskmon is simply because she's always up for a good fight! She's kind of violent…

part 2 (Hotaru/Dai)- Aw, I like Impmon! It's okay that you don't, though. And that is a good guess about Dai (I still plan on revealing his past, and Hotaru's, but not yet).

part 3 (Kouichi/Zoe)- I love writing stuff with these two! They are so cute together! And I'm still fuming about the lack of Kouichi Beast Spirit Evolutioning! (_Kouichi:_ It's what I get for coming in halfway through the series. _sigh_)

part 4 (Takuya/Shino)- Yeah, Chikao's not such a bad guy after all, is he? And Shino would say something to you right now because you're a fan of his, but…you know.

coupling- I was disappointed that they didn't have a Kouichi/Zoe pairing myself. And there is DEFINITELY evidence of it!

Thanks for your reviews and complimenting my writing style! I try!

_Kayland Elric:_ I know! I really want the second one! Oh well, I guess all good things come to those who wait! Thanks for the review!

_GoldenDragon326:_ I did do winded on purpose (heh). Everybody agrees that Kouichi needs a Beast Spirit Evolution sequence! Grrr! And Shino apparently picked up a few fans (you're worried about him)! He'll be happy to hear that, I'm sure! Thanks for reviewing!

_greywindfalcon:_ It's okay! I just hate computer troubles. And really fangirls…really. Thanks!

_Tori R:_ I have indeed read Breaking Dawn! It was awesome! I love happy endings! Thanks for your review!

_agoodcupoftea:_ Kouji and JP are cool, aren't they? And I agree, Shino's a bit more ruthless than Kouichi (I made him that way intentionally). And I'm glad you finally caught up! Hooray! Gracias (Thanks) for le review!

_madjack89:_ Okay, time for more drama! Yay!

_Takuya:_ If Shino died in my house, I swear…

--

_~an hour or so before the whole "Shino might have just died" thing_

Yutaka took a step back, eyes almost popping out of their sockets. He had just witnessed a scene that could never happen, yet he had just seen it. Standing before him was a small white bear that looked like it was ready to blow something up with its arsenal of…something. Yutaka just didn't know anymore.

He tried to open his mouth and say something, but all that would come out was, "Huh?"

The bear smiled weakly, saying, "Hey Yutaka. It's me, Tommy." Yutaka scrutinized the bear for a moment. It sounded like his little brother, but there was no way it could be Tommy.

Kumamon stared at his boots. _He hates me…_

Yutaka's eyes narrowed slightly and he held out a hand to the strange bear. Kumamon looked up at his brother, hope shining in his eyes.

"Tommy?" Yutaka asked quietly, taking another step toward Kumamon. "You're…different."

Kumamon grinned happily. "I'm called Kumamon when I'm like this." He paused and held out his paw to Yutaka. "I'm still me, though. We all are. And we're all trying our best to keep everything safe."

Yutaka stared at Kumamon for a second then smiled and took Kumamon's paw in his hand. "We?" Yutaka asked. "Don't tell me."

Kumamon giggled. "Yeah, Takuya and everyone else, too."

Yutaka's eyes suddenly hardened. "What about Takuya's cousin?"

"No," Kumamon shook his head, growing anxious again. "Why?"

Yutaka looked up at the sky. "Can you get us to Takuya's house quickly?"

Kumamon nodded. "I can Beast Spirit Evolve into Korikakumon and carry you there with me."

Yutaka sweatdropped. "You can get bigger?"

"Yeah," Kumamon said, grinning sheepishly. "You see, we have two different spirits that…"

"Save the explanation for later," Yutaka said quickly, holding up his hand. "Just hurry and do your little thing so we can get going."

Kumamon cocked his head in confusion. "Why? What's wrong with Takuya?"

Yutaka's jaw clenched. "I think he's in trouble."

--

"Tomoyo!" JP burst through the trees, followed by Kouji.

Tomoyo turned her head, staring at their scared expressions. "Uh, did I miss something?" she asked.

"Oh thank god," JP said breathlessly, embracing Tomoyo.

Tomoyo began to blush, hugging JP back. "I don't know what I did, but can you tell me so I can write it down?"

JP chuckled then turned and glared at Kouji. "Digimon are gonna exploit her, huh?"

Kouji shrugged. "You should know better than to listen to me about these things at this point. In case you haven't noticed, I'm paranoid. I'm even admitting it.

"And Madjack, what the hell? That was kind of a letdown." (Look up.) "What?" Kouji said, looking up.

Suddenly Renamon jumped out of a tree, unleashing her Diamond Storm attack.

"Oh, c'mon!" Kouji exclaimed, shoving JP and Tomoyo out of the range of the attack. He winced as one of the razor-sharp diamonds grazed his arm, leaving a gash.

He grasped his arm in pain, grimacing as blood began to seep through his fingers. "Thanks, Madjack," he said sarcastically. (You're welcome!)

"Twice in one night," Renamon stated, looking at Kouji. "Perhaps you aren't as good as we thought."

JP glared at Renamon. "You're just asking to get your ass kicked," he said, turning to Kouji. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'll be fine," he said quickly, taking out his D-Tector. "Besides, I need to get some payback against this thing."

"I'm a thing, am I?" Renamon asked, sounding bored.

"Well, usually I don't consider Digimon 'things,' but for you, I'll make an exception," Kouji said.

"Burn!" Tomoyo muttered.

"Tomoyo, get out of here," JP said quietly, pushing Tomoyo gently away. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"You better not get hurt, either," Tomoyo countered, backing up into the trees.

Renamon glanced at Tomoyo's retreat. "So, you wish to fight me?"

"Do you wish to fight us?" Kouji asked.

Renamon was silent for a moment. Then she said, "No."

Kouji and JP stared at her, confused.

Renamon smirked. "But I don't have a choice in the matter." With that, she disappeared.

"Hey, what the hell was that about?" JP asked, relaxing a bit. "She doesn't want to fight, then she does, then she runs away?"

"No," Kouji said. "She's quick. This is probably…" Suddenly Kouji caught movement in the trees out of the corner of his eye. "JP, hurry up and Spirit Evolve!"

"Look out!" Tomoyo cried.

"What?" JP asked just as Renamon loomed up behind him. Then, quick as a flash, her arm shot out, knocking JP several feet away. He landed with a thud on his side.

"JP!" Kouji cried, rushing over to him.

JP got slowly to his feet, Kouji helping to support him. "I'm fine," he grunted, glaring at Renamon. "But that thing is going down!"

"Right," Kouji agreed, and they both Spirit Evolved.

Renamon stared at their transformation, still looking bored. "This could be a bit more of a challenge. But not much."

"Woot! Kick her ass, guys! And I just knew you were the wolfy Digimon, Kouji!" Tomoyo hopped up and down, acting almost like a cheerleader.

Lobomon smirked. "She's definitely a keeper," he said.

"Enough talk," Renamon said suddenly. "It's time that you showed me what you're made of."

"Gladly," Beetlemon said, hands glowing with electricity. "Thunder Fist!" he cried, pounding his fist into the ground, sending a shock wave toward Renamon. Before it reached her, however, she leaped gracefully into the air, landing a few feet away.

"You missed," she said, staring at Beetlemon.

"Sure did," he replied. "But did you notice who's missing?"

Renamon realized that Lobomon was nowhere to be found a second before he said quietly from behind her, "Gotcha."

"You go guys!" cried Tomoyo happily. "That was awesome!"

Lobomon's arm weapon thing (?) glowed as he pressed it against Renamon's back. "Now before I scan you," he began, "You're going to answer a few questions."

"Yeah," Beetlemon agreed, stepping in front of Renamon. "For starters, who's this Ilsemon chick that's got it in for us?"

Renamon chuckled, closing her eyes. "You're too late," she whispered. "She knows everything about you. And now, nothing will stop her from taking you…in the Digital World."

"Taking us?" Beetlemon glanced at Lobomon, giving him a "is this bitch crazy or what?" look.

Lobomon, however, seemed to be taking Renamon more seriously. "Is that what happened to you?" he asked. "You're not doing this because you want to?"

Suddenly Renamon turned her head, a slightly crazed gleam in her beady little eyes, and glared at Lobomon, saying, "You would know the most about that, wouldn't you?"

Lobomon's eyes widened in fear and realization. "You mean that was…?" He dropped his arm in shock. "No…"

"And it will be a thousand times worse in person," she said, slowly crouching down and preparing to leap.

"Kouji!" Beetlemon's yell snapped Lobomon out of his reverie just as Renamon jumped into the air, disappearing again.

"Kouji, what happened? You just suddenly dropped your arm," Beetlemon said, not having heard Renamon's comments.

Lobomon took a deep, calming breath. "I'm fine," he said. "But I think Ilsemon is more dangerous than we realized."

--

Takuya squinted his eyes, trying to adjust them after the sudden burst of light. When his pupils finally dilated, he prepared himself for the worst.

Instead, what he saw made him smile. In front of him stood a perfectly fine Shino, still looking a little confused. And in front of Shino stood Korikakumon, axes held in front of him protectively. (Ha! Told you!)

"Took you long enough to get here, Tommy," Takuya said, sighing with relief.

"Um, Takuya," said Gatomon. "You might not feel so happy when you see what he did to your wall."

Takuya glanced at the wall to his house and saw the big, gaping hole that Korikakumon had made in order to get in.

"Crap," Takuya muttered, hanging his head. "I'm gonna somehow get blamed for that."

"Sorry Takuya," Korikakumon said apologetically.

"I am really, really getting sick of all of you goody-two-shoes legendary warriors," Wizardmon said suddenly, holding his wand up a second time.

"Avalanche Axes!" Korikakumon cried, beating Wizardmon to the punch. He quickly threw an axe at Wizardmon, who dodged it like it was nothing. However, Korikakumon was prepared for that and had thrown his other axe in the other direction. Wizardmon quickly leaned back, barely dodging this attack.

Both the axes imbedded themselves deep into the furniture in Takuya's living room.

"I've got a crazy idea," Takuya said. "Why don't we take this battle outside and stop DESTROYING MY HOUSE!"

"Sorry," Korikakumon said again, slide evolving back to Kumamon.

"Fine," Wizardmon said, glancing at Shino. "He's here now, so I guess it doesn't matter where we are." Then he disappeared.

"C'mon guys, let's get him!" Kumamon rushed out the hole in the wall.

Takuya turned to Shino. "Go ahead. There's one more thing I have to take care of here," he said, glancing back at his bedroom door.

Shino's attention, however, had been caught by something else. "Gatomon," he said, pointing at her tail. "Where's your tail ring?"

Gatomon turned her head, noticing that her tail ring was, in fact, gone. "I don't know," she said, shrugging. "I must have dropped it."

"You don't seem that sad to have it gone," Shino said, trying to beat back the temptation that rose in him.

Again Gatomon shrugged. "I don't really need it. It helped me do some interesting things, but it's not all that important to me. If you find it, go ahead and keep it."

_I swear to god, Madjack!_ "That's a generous offer, but I think I'll pass," Shino said quickly, cursing me in his thoughts for writing such tempting dialogue.

"Oh, by the way Gatomon," Takuya said suddenly, staring at Gatomon. "I was thinking maybe you should go and check on everyone else. You know, to make sure they're okay? I'm kind of getting this feeling…"

"Say no more," said Gatomon, holding up her paw. "I don't trust Wizardmon either. This is bigger than him wanting revenge, I know it. I mean, where's your family?"

Takuya's eyes widened. "That's right. They went out tonight. They should definitely have been back by now, or at least have called."

"And that's where Gatomon, the cat detective, comes in," said Gatomon, leaping toward the hole in the wall. "Good luck, you two. Be careful." And then she was off.

"She really needs to teach me how she can run that fast," said Takuya.

"She's a cat, Taki. She's got four legs," replied Shino, sighing.

Takuya looked at Shino. "You called me Taki," he said, grinning.

Shino looked at Takuya, then looked away. "It's shorter than Takuya, so…"

Takuya brought his hand up slowly and rested it on Shino's head. "Shino, welcome officially to the group," he said, chuckling.

Shino stared at the ground, feeling guilty. _You guys are too good for me…_ "Didn't you have something you had to do?"

"That's right," Takuya said, turning quickly on his heel. "I gotta…well it's a long story. I'll tell you later, okay? Be careful with Wizardmon. He's got it in for you!" Then Takuya disappeared into his room down the hall.

Shino sighed again, stepping outside. "How did I end up getting more confused than ever after already making up my mind?" he asked himself, not expecting an answer. "No one told me how much drama comes with being a hero."

--

Yutaka stood behind a large tree in front of Takuya's house, honoring his promise to his brother that he would stay hidden. He had heard some crashing and banging, and he had seen his brother running out of the hole he had put in Takuya's wall, but he knew better than to get involved.

"This isn't my battle," he kept telling himself. "Tommy will be able to handle himself. Takuya will protect him, if nothing else."

But he hadn't seen Takuya leave. Where was he?

"Chikao! What in the hell are you doing?!"

Yutaka jumped, hearing Takuya's voice coming from the open window to the right of where he stood. He decided to peek inside to see what was wrong. He could at least handle Chikao.

What he saw made him wish he had never come there in the first place

Chikao stood in the middle of Takuya's floor, holding a knife to his own throat. Takuya stood in the doorway, hand still on the doorknob. He was breathing hard, looking like he was trying to calm himself down before speaking again.

"Chikao…please…" Yutaka could barely make out Takuya's small voice. "Please…put the knife down. I forgive you, okay? Is that what you want?"

Yutaka watched Chikao glance at Takuya, a dull, emotionless expression on his face. "Takuya, all of this was my fault. Everything has been my fault. I was actually hoping that you would just come in and find my note and…me."

Yutaka stared at Takuya, trying to gauge his reaction. Takuya stared at the floor for a few moments, and then he lifted his head, smiling.

Yutaka's eyes narrowed. _What are you thinking, kid?_ he thought to himself. _This isn't exactly a happy moment._

"If that's what you truly think will fix everything, then go ahead. I won't stop you."

_What?_ Yutaka looked at Takuya like he was crazy. It wasn't as if he liked Chikao particularly, but he didn't want him to die. Did Takuya?

Chikao smiled. "Thanks, buddy," he said, making a motion to plunge the knife into his throat.

"Stop!" Yutaka cried out before he could stop himself.

Chikao jumped, dropping his knife to the floor. Takuya looked up at the window. "Yutaka? What are you doing here?" he asked. "Wait, did Tommy…oh my god, you know!"

Yutaka paid no attention to Takuya, instead glaring at Chikao. Chikao looked back.

"Chikao," Yutaka began, "if you kill yourself…then I will, too."

--

_madjack89:_ Something just occurred to me.

_Kouji:_ What?

_madjack89:_ Well, when you guys were in Sakkakumon, Mercurymon was in there to beat the crap out of Taki.

_Takuya:_ Shut up!

_Kouji:_ No, you shut up!

_Takuya:_ No, you shut up!

_JP:_ I do believe that was a _Brother Bear_ reference.

_madjack89:_ Guys, let me get back to my point!

_Takuya, Kouji, and JP:_ Sorry.

_madjack89:_ Well, anyway, I just wanted to point out that if Sakkakumon is Mercurymon's Beast Spirit, how was he inside of Sakkakumon? Wouldn't he have been Sakkakumon?

_Kouichi:_ …Well huh, that's a pretty good point.

_Kira:_ Taru-kun, try Beast Spirit Evolving and see what happens!

_Hotaru: _Um, no thank you.

_Kira:_ Darn…

_Shino:_ Hey guys. Miss me?

_Takuya:_ Oh yeah. Yay, Shino isn't dead!

_Kouji:_ Yet.

_Takuya:_ Pessimism!

_Kouji:_ Screw you! I was just being realistic!

_Shino:_ Why did you bring me back here, Madjack?

_madjack89:_ Sorry Shino. Oh well, guess we'll see you guys in the next chapter!

_Kouji:_ You're an idiot!

_Takuya:_ I know you are, but what am I?

_Kouji:_ Damn it, Takuya!

(And happy Halloween, I guess. Don't really like Halloween, so…)


	29. Ch 27: Damn it, Duskmon!

Frontier 02: Home Frontier- Chapter 27: Damn it, Duskmon!

_madjack89:_ Hey peoples! My writer's block has been cured and I'm ready to roll! Time for the most head exploding, suspenseful conclusion of your lives!

_Everyone:_ Conclusion?

_Takuya:_ Hey, what gives?

_JP:_ You said that you were continuing this story for a while!

_madjack89:_ I still am.

_Kira:_ Then why'd you mention a conclusion?

_madjack89:_ I mean that I'm soon ending this particular story and continuing it in a sequel. I thought I should let you guys know because it's gonna happen fairly soon. And don't worry; it'll be the same as this story, only in sequel form!

_Kouji:_ Goody.

_madjack89:_ But before that I gotta finish my Kouji/Seiko story I've been working on!

_Kouji:_ Even more goody.

_madjack89:_ Also, if you're wondering, I did plan to separate this into two (possibly three) different stories from the beginning, so everything's going according to plan!

_Zoe:_ This fanfic is getting pretty long.

_madjack89:_ Sure is, Zee. Sure is.

_Zoe:_ Since when did you call me Zee?

_madjack89:_ Since now. Okay, review time yet again!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Wow, it was 5:01? I really did cut that timing close (almost missed my report time in band). But I'm glad it was good timing for you! Yay! I'll get to K and Z in this chapter. And about Halloween, I had a bad experience trick-or-treating, I've never been a candy nut, and horror films that they show on T.V. freak me out. But if you like Halloween, then enjoy it! Hope you got a good haul (of candy). Thanks for reviewing!

_kyokoaurora:_ Aw, that's nice of you to say! Thank you!

_Kayland Elric:_ Hey, I didn't use a Star Wars reference! I should fix that… (_Kouji:_ Look what you did!) And with Yutaka, that would be an interesting thing to do, making them ACTUALLY gay (I don't like yaoi, but that doesn't mean I'm against writing about a gay couple). But I digress. I've got a bunch of ideas swirling around for what could happen next, so I guess we'll just see which one I pick! Thanks for reviewing!

_hazeleyedharmony:_ I think I'm in the mood to write another long response! (And you're a good author! Congratulate yourself!) Also, thanks for advertising my fanfic in your story! Okay, let's get back to your review!

intro- Yeah, if I wanted them to die, it'd be more dramatic than THAT! What do you take me for? (heehee)

part 1 (Tommy)- I always thought that Tommy made things more cute in Digimon Frontier (just like Calumon in Tamers)! Ironic that they have the same voice actress…

part 2 (JP/Kouji)- Tomoyo is interesting, I'll give her that. But I suppose if anyone were to break JP away from Zoe it would be her, huh? I was having a lot of fun with those random comments in this part! Woohoo!

part 3 (Shino/Taki)- You're welcome! (_Shino:_ I even got worried there for a second.) Yeah, poor Taki, he's gonna have one heck of a time, isn't he? (_Shino:_ And I'd like to say that you completely wrote that dialogue on purpose with Gatomon just to get to me!) Sorry Shino, but you make it too easy! (_Shino:_ At least I have my fan.) (_Kouji:_ Heh, fan.) (_Shino:_ Shut up, Kouji!)

part 4 (Yutaka)- I am a little sadistic, aren't I? Oh well, it's all gonna work out! And I guess spontaneity is Yutaka's specialty now! (_Yutaka:_ …)

outro- Finally someone gets it! (heh) And without our little Chief, Digimon Frontier just wouldn't have been the same. I do have reasons for not liking Halloween (check out my answer to GoldenDragon326's review).

And finally, I tend to ramble too, so answering your review is enjoyable (yay)! Alright, thanks yet again and keep writing, because I'll be checking up on you!

_garnettfox: _Happy birthday! Glad I could get the last chapter to you by then! Thanks for reviewing!

_greywindfalcon:_ Yeah, I've been taking a long time with these chapters because I've been kind of busy. Sorry! I'll be faster from now on because the marching band season is over! (Now I have free time again!) And I can't believe it's gotten this far either! It's really awesome! Well, thanks for sticking with me even though I've been taking so long!

_agoodcupoftea: _Ah, cliffhangers! (lol) I tend to put cliffhangers in a lot. And I'm glad I could do scenes with Kouji and JP to your liking! (Hooray!) Thanks for reviewing!

_aluminion:_ The Unified Spirit Evolution? You know, I really am not sure when or if I'll put those in. We'll just have to wait and see! Thanks for reviewing! (By the way, ice into flame and darkness into light were funny lines!)

_blazingfury617:_ Wow, my OC's are actually gaining popularity! Way to go, you guys! (_Kira:_ Heck yeah!) (_Daiki:_ Yay!) (_Shino:_ Thanks.) (_Takuya:_ What do you mean by lucky to have her…hey, wait a minute!) And it's alright if you reviewed in the wrong chapter. (_Tommy:_ And I've heard those words before. I'm not a baby, after all!) Okay, thanks for reviewing!

_madjack89:_ Alright, time for chapter 27! Woot!

--

Duskmon lowered his arms, giving Ranamon time to gather herself together. She quickly spun around and backed up a few feet, not taking her eyes off of Duskmon.

_Alright Kira, get it together,_ she thought, trying to form a plan. _I know at least three things about this guy. One, he's got a crooked-ass sword. I can avoid that. Two, he's probably got, like, 360 degree vision with those creepy eyes all over him. But if I poke em, I'll bet that issue will be cleared up. Three, he's totally gonna kill me if he gets the chance. Great._

"Well, here goes nothing," she muttered, raising her arms above her head. "Um, I think it was Draining Rain or something," she said as a storm cloud formed above Duskmon.

Ranamon smirked. "That is always going to be awesome, no matter how many times I do it!"

A large amount of water poured from the cloud then, headed right for Duskmon. In the blink of an eye, however, he was gone and the water poured down onto no one, soaking the ground.

"Oh yeah, he's fast too," Ranamon said to herself, quickly backing against a wall so that he couldn't sneak up behind her again.

"You're smarter than the Ranamon I knew," Duskmon's voice came from her right, and she snapped her head around to see him leaning idly against the wall beside her. "But that definitely doesn't make you a genius."

Before Ranamon could react further, Duskmon was in front of her, pinning her to the wall. She struggled against his grip, but he only clutched her tighter.

"And now…" Duskmon murmured, glaring at Ranamon. They stood in silence for a few moments, Ranamon waiting for Duskmon to continue what he was about to do. He seemed to be considering something, and she didn't like the gleam in his eye as he looked down on her.

She frowned, saying, "Okay? Do I need to flip your switch back to the 'on' position, or are you gonna finish your sentence?"

Duskmon chuckled darkly. "If I can do nothing more tonight, perhaps I'll just tell you a little story."

"You mean like story time?" Ranamon asked skeptically. "You know, I could go for a good story right now but, since I'm pinned to a FREAKING WALL, I don't think now's the best time!"

"Fine," Duskmon said, lifting his arm to her chest (not in the perverted sense).

Ranamon glanced down. "Okay, now whaARGH!" She cried out in pain as Duskmon unleashed an energy beam from his arm, hitting Ranamon square in the chest. Data engulfed her body and then she sunk to the ground, once again in her human form.

Duskmon crouched down, lifting Kira's downturned face gently with his malformed hand. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking twice.

"Comfortable?" Duskmon asked.

Kira glared angrily at Duskmon's cocky expression. "You really are a bastard, you know?" she said, mustering the strength to get to her knees.

Duskmon let his arm fall to his side and sat himself down on the ground. "Would you like to hear my story now?"

Kira tried to stand but failed in her attempt, sinking back to the ground. "Do I have a choice?" she murmured to herself. To Duskmon, she said, "So what sort of twisted tale could you possibly tell, Mr. Freaky Eyeball Dude?"

"You are exactly like him, aren't you?" Duskmon said to himself, referring to Takuya. "Aside from that, this tale is about one person's dissention into darkness, and his foolish mistakes that follow."

"Spooky," Kira said sarcastically, still trying to agitate Duskmon with her sass.

Unperturbed, Duskmon continued, "I'm sure you've heard this first part about how he found his twin brother, but didn't have the courage to speak to him, nor the nerve to tell any other person about his predicament."

Kira cocked her head. "What the hell does Chief have to do with your story?" she asked. Then she thought back to the time that Takuya had told her that everything always happened to Kouichi, but then seemed to try to take it back. She'd wondered what he had meant, but hadn't gotten the chance to ask. Now she thought she would finally get some answers.

"What has Chief been hiding?" Kira asked slowly, staring at Duskmon thoughtfully. "You know, don't you?"

"Let me continue the story," Duskmon said. "One day, he noticed his twin on a subway train, so decided to follow him, which in some countries is called stalking, which can be considered illegal. (_Kouichi:_ Screw you!)

"He lost him momentarily in the crowd when leaving the train. However, he quickly spotted him getting into an elevator. He tried to catch the doors before they closed, but he just missed them. So he decided to take the stairs…"

"I know what happens next," Kira muttered. "Chief took a tumble down the stairs. Fell into a coma, yada yada yada. I already know that. Get to the part I don't know."

"That was the beginning of the story," Duskmon stated, glancing over his shoulder. "If I'm not interrupted, I can get to the more interesting part."

Kira took this as Duskmon's version of "Shut up," so she held back her comments, waiting patiently for Duskmon to resume.

"As you stated, he did indeed fall into a coma. But when he woke up, he was no longer in the subway, let alone the human world. He didn't know where he was; only that he was surrounded by darkness. So he assumed that he had died, and that was when he started to think about what he was leaving behind.

"His father betrayed his mother and him; his grandmother was gone; his mother was suffering; his brother didn't even know he existed. He was angry, and he felt betrayed.

"And that's when a Digimon named Cherubimon came into the picture…"

"DUSKMON!"

Kira turned her head at the sound of Kouichi's voice. JagerLowemon stood outside the alley between her apartment and the building next to it, glowering at Duskmon with more hate than Kira thought he could muster.

Beside him floated Zephyrmon, who was glancing from Duskmon to Kira.

Duskmon turned slower than Kira, already knowing who was there. "Hello again, Chief," he said, using Kouichi's nickname contemptuously.

"What did you do?" JagerLowemon asked in a low growl, stepping forward into the alley.

"Are you okay, Kira?" Zephyrmon flew into the alley, landing next to Kira and crouching down to check her injuries.

"Yeah," Kira said absentmindedly, concentrating more on the confrontation between Kouichi and Duskmon.

Zephyrmon followed Kira's gaze and her eyes slowly got wider. "He told you…?"

"He told me more than you were letting me know," Kira said, glancing at Zephyrmon. "Do you not trust me with the whole truth, Zee?"

Zephyrmon shook her head. "It's not my story to tell."

Kira looked at Zephyrmon a moment longer then turned her attention back to Kouichi.

Duskmon smirked at JagerLowemon, getting to his feet. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

"You bastard freak," JagerLowemon said angrily, digging his claws into the pavement. "You should've stayed dead. Now I'm going to fix that problem."

Duskmon stared at Kouichi. "Who said I didn't have an influence on you?" Suddenly Duskmon winced, touching a hand to his head for a moment.

JagerLowemon smirked. "One of the things you taught me was always take advantage of an opening!" With that he leaped forward, headed straight for Duskmon.

Before he made contact, however, Duskmon had disappeared yet again. JagerLowemon landed on his feet, looking frantically in all directions for his nemesis.

"Chief…" Kira murmured. She had never seen Kouichi act like this, and it almost scared her.

"I hate it when he calls me like that." Kira turned to her left and saw Duskmon standing behind Zephyrmon, holding a sword to her throat.

"Zoe!" JagerLowemon rushed toward Duskmon.

"Not so fast," Duskmon said, pressing his sword closer to Zephyrmon.

JagerLowemon stopped, eyes focused on Zephyrmon's frightened expression. "Please don't," he said quietly, pleading with Duskmon. "Don't do it. Please."

Kira glared at Duskmon. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a coward?"

Duskmon glared at Kira, lowering his sword from Zephyrmon's neck. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a pest?" he countered, turning around with his back facing JagerLowemon.

"I have to run for now," he said, glancing back at JagerLowemon. "But remember this when next we meet; I now know your two ultimate weaknesses, and I will exploit them whenever possible." And then he was gone.

JagerLowemon stood in the middle of the alley, staring at the spot where Duskmon had been.

Kira watched as Zephyrmon floated over to his side, placing her hand gently on his head. "It's okay, Kouichi," she heard Zephyrmon murmur. "I'm fine. Duskmon was just trying to get to you. Don't let him."

JagerLowemon paused before saying, "I know." Then he looked at Kira for what seemed like the first time. Kira noticed that he looked almost scared when he took her in.

She smiled, trying to reassure him. "I'm alright, Chief. Just a few scratches; nothing major."

JagerLowemon, instead of feeling reassured, seemed stung by the comment. He turned his head away. "I'm sorry!" he said quickly, rushing out of the alley.

"Kouichi!" Zephyrmon cried. "Can't he just stay in one place tonight?" She glanced at Kira. "Do you want to help me find him?"

Kira nodded. "But on two conditions. One: you carry me along with you because it would be really kickass to fly. Two: I am allowed to knock as much sense into that boy as the need arises."

"You don't want to know the whole truth?" Zephyrmon asked.

"Would you tell me if I asked?" Kira countered.

"No."

"In that case, let us depart."

--

"Hey Hotaru," Daiki said, turning to his cousin, who was following him down the street to get to Takuya's. "Do you ever get the feeling that something really bad is about to happen?"

Suddenly Wizardmon leaped out in front of Daiki, glaring in the direction he had come from. As Kumamon stepped out in front of Daiki as well, Wizardmon lifted his wand, gathering lightening at its tip.

"Thunder Blaster," he cried, unleashing the lightening at Kumamon.

Kumamon quickly took in a breath then exhaled, unleashing cold wind from his mouth. The lightening and wind collided with each other, sending sparks in all directions.

Hotaru grabbed Daiki, pulling him back from the deadly sparks. Kumamon tried to duck, but was hit by a stray spark nonetheless. He cried out in pain then fell to the ground, reverting back to his human form.

"Tommy!" Daiki yelled, pulling out his D-Tector. Hotaru already held his D-Tector at the ready, and they both Spirit Evolved.

Wizardmon glanced at Grumblemon and Mercurymon, unperturbed by their appearance. "Oh look, the reinforcements have arrived."

"Not all of them!" Arbormon suddenly came into view, quickly taking a defensive position in front of Tommy.

Wizardmon grinned. "What, no Beast Spirit?"

"I thought I'd save that for later. No need to alert the authorities to our presence if it can be easily avoided. And if you didn't take the hint, that means we can beat you without Beast Spirits, right guys?"

Grumblemon nodded, an excited expression on his face. "Oh boy, another battle! This time we are totally gonna beat you! Hee hee!"

Mercurymon sighed. "Dai, you really need to take these things more seriously."

"Sorry! Um, you're going down," Grumblemon said, trying to sound tough.

"Close enough," said Arbormon, turning back to Wizardmon. "Face it; you're outnumbered, you're outmatched, and you've got no backup to help you. You've lost, Wizardmon."

Wizardmon hid his face behind his hat, laughing to himself. "You think that this is over? Well, I'm sorry to say that you're mistaken."

Suddenly two figures appeared behind Wizardmon. One looked like a yellow fox, the other a twisted looking dark swordsman.

The other three stared at the two new Digimon. "Ooookay?" Arbormon said slowly.

"You got yourself some henchmen?" Grumblemon asked, crossing his arms.

"No way." Everyone watched as Tommy got quickly to his feet, faltering slightly.

"Take it easy, Tommy," said Arbormon. "We'll handle this."

Tommy continued to stare at the Digimon behind Wizardmon. "I can't take it easy with Duskmon around."

"Duskmon?" Grumblemon and Mercurymon asked at the same time.

Arbormon's eyes widened. "You mean that's…" He glanced at Duskmon then at Tommy. "Crap."

"Nice to see my reputation precedes me," Duskmon said, bowing his head. "I am indeed Duskmon. However, I'm quite confused as to why I was summoned here by Wizardmon when I was just in the middle of a reunion with an old acquaintance."

"I am confused as well," said the fox Digimon, glaring at Wizardmon.

"I hate to admit this, but I need both of you to help me take care of these brats, particularly that one," Wizardmon explained grudgingly, pointing at Arbormon. "And since Duskmon has already been introduced, I'd like you all to meet Renamon."

"Charmed," said Renamon. "So Wizardmon, you mean to say that you cannot take care of a few human children who happened to stumble upon the spirits of the legendary warriors?"

"We didn't just stumble on them, you big meanie!" Tommy said, glaring at Renamon.

"Tommy's right," Grumblemon added. "We were chosen for them, whether you like it or not, so there!"

Wizardmon sighed. "Taunt me all you want, but you can't honestly say that you don't want to be rid of THAT," he said, pointing at Grumblemon.

"He makes a good point," said Duskmon grudgingly. "Fine, I'll help."

"I suppose there is nothing better for me to do," Renamon agreed. "Should we keep them alive, or just kill them? They are nuisances and aren't integral to Lady Ilsemon's plans."

"I don't have any objections to it," Wizardmon said darkly. "Kill them, for all I care."

With that, Renamon leaped into the air while Duskmon revealed his swords, moving at superhuman speed toward Grumblemon.

Mercurymon quickly moved in front of Grumblemon, lifting his mirrored arm as protection.

Duskmon smirked. "I thought so."

Suddenly Duskmon disappeared from sight, reappearing just as quickly behind Grumblemon. "I knew that you would protect him," Duskmon said, preparing to stab Grumblemon. "Of course, thanks to the intelligence given to Ilsemon, we know everything about you."

"Shut up!" Mercurymon whirled around, preparing to shove Grumblemon out of Duskmon's way.

However, he stopped mid step, limbs stiffening as if he'd been hit. As he fell to the ground, it showed that he had been hit from behind as several razor sharp diamonds protruded from his back. The diamonds disintegrated as data engulfed Mercurymon, returning him to an unconscious human form.

"Hotaru," Grumblemon whispered, tears forming in his eyes.

Renamon stood in front of Grumblemon, running a paw over a patch of fur on her shoulder which had been sticking up. "He was distracted, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to strike." She glanced down at Hotaru. "He has so much raw talent; it's a pity that he should squander it all with protecting you."

"Hotaru," Grumblemon sobbed, tears landing on the ground below.

"Dai!" Arbormon tried to rush to Grumblemon's aid, but was stopped by Wizardmon blocking his path.

"You still have me to deal with," he said, raising his wand and releasing a burst of flame from it.

Arbormon quickly dodged the blast, still concentrating on Grumblemon. He also glanced behind him, checking to see that Tommy was still okay. However he realized that Tommy had started running toward Grumblemon when he wasn't looking, Spirit Evolving as he went.

"Tommy!" he cried, rushing forward. Once again, Wizardmon blocked his path. Arbormon glared at his foe. "So this is your game? Exploiting our weaknesses? Yeah, you're one amazing warrior."

Wizardmon smiled beneath his coat (I guess). "It's that strategy that makes me a great warrior, one that you won't ever be…or will you?"

"Blizzard Blaster!" Kumamon exclaimed, aiming his gun at Renamon and unleashing a flurry of snow.

Renamon glanced at Kumamon, quickly dodging his attacks and running straight at him. Kumamon's eyes widened as she paused in front of him, grinning devilishly. Then she brought her knee up, making contact with Kumamon's stomach.

Kumamon flew into the air while Renamon leaped above him, driving her foot into his back. He flew toward the ground at a speed that could have killed him had he not blown a quick flurry of snow onto the ground where he landed.

Renamon landed gracefully in front of Kumamon, watching him recover from the impact of her attack. "I call that the Renamon Barrage, bitch."

"Meanie," Kumamon muttered angrily, using the only word I'll let him call people (hee!).

Meanwhile, Grumblemon had sunken to his knees, staring at Hotaru's unconscious form. "It's my fault," he muttered. "Just like…"

"Just like your parents, right?" Duskmon said quietly.

Grumblemon's eyes widened. "How do you…?"

"I already told you; we know everything about you," Duskmon said, chuckling softly. "Your story is quite intriguing. It's like a soap opera with all of you children, but I must say that your tale is one of the worst."

"It's my fault," Grumblemon said, still staring at Hotaru. "If I had never been born; if I had died in that car too, none of this would be happening. I'm just a burden to everybody."

"So that's your decision," Duskmon said, raising his arm. "Very well; let me help you on your way."

"But," Grumblemon continued, causing Duskmon to pause, "if I die now, you'll finish everyone else off."

Grumblemon quickly turned around, pulling his hammer out of the ground behind him and using the momentum of his turning body to bring the hammer around, headed for Duskmon. (This made more sense in my head! Sorry!)

With no time to dodge, Duskmon brought his arm up to deflect the blow, wincing as his armor cracked.

Grumblemon smiled. "You thought you had me, didn't you? I'll admit that what both you and I said was true, but Hotaru's always been there to help me, and I'm not gonna let him down now!"

--

_Things to come:_

Will Takuya's cousin go through with his suicide attempt?

Will Yutaka?

Can Grumblemon beat Duskmon?

Will Kumamon triumph over Renamon?

What trick could Wizardmon have up his sleeve now?

Where are everyone's parents?

For that matter, where's Waldo?

Why does Kouichi keep running away?

Can Ranamon really be considered a mermaid if she doesn't have a tail fin?

Why are Takuya's goggles huge?

How many lines has Hotaru actually had in this story?

Why are Kouji and JP so slow? It's been, like, seven chapters and they still haven't made it to Taki's! C'mon!

_JP:_ We were distracted!

_Kouji:_ I fell out of a freakin' tree!

_Takuya:_ …Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

_Kouji:_ Shut the hell up, idiot!

_Kira:_ Ha ha ha…oh god, I can't breathe…ha ha ha!

_Kouji:_ I hate all of you!

_Kouichi:_ He doesn't really mean that.

_Kouji:_ Hell yeah, I mean it!

_Zoe:_ Okay, see you in the next chapter, everyone!

_Shino:_ Wait, where'd Madjack go?

_Zoe:_ She told me to finish off the chapter for her by posting that list of things to come up.

_Shino:_ Why did she leave?

_Zoe:_ Who knows?

_Shino:_ Good enough for me. See you, everyone. Cheers.


	30. Ch 28: Reckless Flying Time

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier- Chapter 28: Reckless Flying Time**

_madjack89:_ Hey guys! How is everybody?

_Zoe:_ Where'd you go last time?

_madjack89:_ I was working on other things, considering I'm now writing three stories AT THE SAME TIME!

_Kouji:_ Sucks to be you.

_madjack89:_ No not really. I enjoy it!

_Daiki:_ That's the spirit! Yay!

_madjack89:_ Speaking of things I enjoy, I was just cracking up at some of your predictions to my things to come last chapter! Thanks for the good laugh you gave me!

_Takuya:_ It doesn't take THAT much to make you laugh.

_madjack89:_ Oh, be quiet, goggle boy!

_Takuya:_ You know what? I'm answering reviews again.

_JP:_ That was random.

_madjack89:_ Okie-dokes, Taki!

_Takuya:_ Alright, let's get started!

_JewelledTears:_ Oh look at this, the aforementioned thing that made Madjack laugh. Hmmmmmmmmm…heh heh, Abracadabra…wait, Kouichi running? Why do I keep missing these things? Oh well, whatever. As Ophanimon says, "it'll all become clear." Yeah, thanks for reviewing and all that!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Man, she keeps having these sucky Halloweens, it's no wonder she hates them! With this recent one she barely got to relax all night cause first there were trick-or-treaters and then the phone and blah blah blah…you know. But I at least got some candy, so it's all good! Thanks!

_greywindfalcon:_ Hey there, buddy! Yup, I still remember you! And you're still sticking with this story…that's pretty awesome! Good for you! But this sequel thing makes me nervous that something really bad is going to happen to us, and with Madjack that's a pretty safe bet. Oh well, we'll see. Thanks!

_hazeleyedharmony:_ Yeah, I thought she was seriously concluding the story for a second too! But I guess it's okay now. I don't really have Madjack's power of ramble, but I'll try my best!

part 1- Well, you see, the other three can't really control their Beast Spirits or anything, so they don't use them. They haven't even really attempted it yet, though. But just imagine Kira going crazy with a Beast Spirit…wow. And they'd all expect ME to stop her! _sigh_ Okay, what's the next part say? …Duskmon reading children stories? Ha! And Chief, I told you stalking was bad! (_Kouichi: sigh_)

part 2- Yeah, Tommy doesn't get the very good attacks…not like he can't defend himself to a certain extent, but he's got me, so he'll be fine! (You're so modest.) Yup! (_sigh_) And it is extremely odd to hear Grumblemon talk, along with Ranamon, Arbormon, and Mercurymon. I keep expecting to hear a British accent, or "Hey yall" or something! (Not that I'm complaining!) And we don't have to yell our attack names! …Okay, maybe we do. I don't know why, though. It's kind of like we have to. (I just realized that that's really creepy!)

Oh goody, another list! …Okay, I'm gonna settle this once and for all! Hotaru has had exactly…53 lines in this story! You were close, but no cigar! But anyways, thanks for your reviewing and stuff. We appreciate it!

_kyokoaurora:_ Proper prat…? I don't know what that is, but if it's insulting, then yes he is! Thank you for insulting the "proper prat." (For the record, I know what proper prat means. Taki's just ignorant.) Hey!

_agoodcuptea:_ Did Cleopatra really say that? (Wow, you know who Cleopatra is!) Shut up, Madjack! (Whatever, daahling.) Grrr…anyway, thanks for your review.

_garnettfox:_ I see. But I don't know if I should approve of this Cassie chick with Tommy… (_Kouji:_ You sound like a mom.) Stop interrupting me, everyone! Okay, well, cool ideas, interesting plot, yadda yadda yadda. I'm not an author. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

_Dawn of Glory:_ Wow, you left a review on almost every chapter. I think that's a record for only a few days! That means you get a virtual cookie! Hooray! And I completely agree that Madjack is cruel. We'll all just have to wait and see what she does… (Mua ha ha…)

_aluminion:_ Let's see…that momentum scene made sense to me too, but Madjack is paranoid. (Humph.) Wait, kill us off?! Don't give her ideas! What if she killed me off? How would you feel then?! (They said they were evil.) Shut up! Okay, okay…I'm calm now. …Dark into light, heh heh. (_Kouichi:_ I blame the writers.) Kira going crazy about her Beast Spirit…oh crap, how is she gonna react? Great, one more thing to look forward to! Thanks for reviewing!

_Kayland Elric:_ You're the fan of the twins, right? Okay, you know what? I have a question for you! Why does everyone like them so much? And I want a straight answer, none of this "smexy" or "I relate to them" crap. Just tell me why you like em! (_Kouji:_ Somebody's jealous.) That's it, get back here! (Wait Taki, what about the review…fine, I'll do it!) Okay, let's see…oh man, I missed the Jeff Dunham special! Darn it! Oh well, it'll be on again, I'm sure. Anyway, Kouji will eventually get a little Duskie action, but it'll mainly focus on Kouichi because…you know. Thanks for reviewing!

_blazingfury617:_ Hey there! You got lucky that Taki ran away (the little…). Anyway, Tommy's heard those words from his "older friends," aka the other legendary warriors. Aren't they great role models? (_JP:_ Shut the hell up!) See? (_JP:_ Damn it!) Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

_Umeplumblossom:_ Hi! I'm glad you enjoy my story and writing. But actually, about Dai and Hotaru…you guessed right! I based them off of Hunny and Mori! I'm sorry! But I made them have different personalities, so it's okay if they have the same type relationship going! Right? Okay, well, thank you for your review!

_madjack89:_ Takuya, you can't just run away while you're answering a review!

_Takuya:_ It's Kouji's fault!

_Kouji:_ Sure, blame all your problems on me.

_Takuya:_ I AM GONNA KILL YOU!

_Kira:_ Wow, you really made him mad.

_madjack89:_ Time for the chapter, everyone! Yay!

--

Yutaka took a sharp intake of breath. _What am I saying? That was a stupid thing to say!_

Takuya stared at Yutaka, wide-eyed. "What?! Yutaka, you can't! You…"

"Yutaka," Chikao murmured, interrupting Takuya. "Why would you go and do something like that? I'm just an aggravation to you, aren't I? I dragged you into this whole mess. If anything, you should be happy."

Yutaka frowned. "You're wrong. I wouldn't be happy. In fact, I'd be sad. We all would be."

Chikao chuckled, lowering the knife from his throat. "I'm sad too," he said quietly. "In fact, I'm anguished. And I've been that way for years. Years, Yutaka! I'm just sick of it; so, so sick of it. I can't take it anymore. It's driven me to insanity and back. So now, I'm going to make the pain end, and you aren't joining me."

"Chikao!" Takuya stepped forward, trembling slightly. "My nerves are really frayed right now. You wanna talk about insanity? Well, if you kill yourself, that may just be the final straw. I will seriously lose it!"

"What happened to not interfering?" Chikao asked, turning to Takuya.

"Well, about that," Takuya said, looking sheepish. "You see, I read something about reverse psychology once, and I thought it might work in this situation because I tried it on JP this one time and…well, you know."

Chikao smirked at Takuya. "Reverse psychology? That really wasn't one of your better ideas, Takuya." He raised the knife back up. "And now it's too late to come up with another one."

Suddenly Yutaka grabbed Chikao from behind, causing Chikao to drop the knife. Chikao struggled, but Yutaka held him firmly, grinning. "I guess you forgot that I could climb through the window. Thanks for distracting him, Takuya."

Takuya sighed, relieved. "I really can't tell you how glad I am that you tagged along with Tommy."

Takuya and Yutaka froze. "Tommy," they both muttered.

"I'll go give Tommy and Shino a hand; you stay here and make sure that he behaves," Takuya said to Yutaka, pointing to his cousin.

Yutaka nodded, glancing once at the D-Tector in Takuya's hand. Takuya smirked. "You wanna see me Spirit Evolve?"

Yutaka nodded again. Chikao stopped struggling, looking up at Takuya as well.

"Wow, I've got an audience," Takuya murmured, feeling the familiar rush of Agunimon's data coursing through him.

Yutaka's eyes grew wide as he stared at Agunimon. Chikao's expression remained blank, not showing any surprise or amazement.

"Well, I'm off to save the day. Again." With that Agunimon was gone, leaving Yutaka to take charge of his suicidal cousin.

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving. (_Everyone:_ What?)

--

Gatomon let her paws carry her to the place she knew the most in the human world: Kouichi's house.

She stopped outside the window that she knew led to his room, panting. She leaned against the wall for a moment, trying to pick up some indication of where Kouichi had gone, because she already knew he wasn't here.

"I just know that Ilsemon sent Duskmon," Gatomon said to herself. "He's a force she can barely contain, so she wouldn't send him out for just anything. I know who he'll go after."

She didn't say or even think the name of the person Duskmon was after, afraid that it would jinx Kouichi if he wasn't already in a life-threatening situation.

Her fears were quickly put to rest because, as she gazed out at the quiet street, Kouichi rushed around the corner, looking a bit worse for ware but, for the most part, unharmed.

Gatomon's sigh of relief caused Kouichi to stop, spinning on his heel and holding up his D-Tector threateningly. When he recognized Gatomon, he lowered his arms slowly. "Gatomon?"

Gatomon nodded, noticing that Kouichi may not have been physically hurt, but something was definitely wrong. His eyes were bloodshot (perhaps from lack of sleep; it was late), and his expression held a multitude of emotions, one of which was anger.

_Duskmon's gotten to him,_ Gatomon thought, slowly walking up to Kouichi.

Kouichi crouched down, trying to attempt a smile as Gatomon approached. "Your sister was true to her word," he murmured.

"My sister?" Gatomon asked, confused. "Kouichi, I wasn't with Witchmon, Wizardmon captured me."

Kouichi frowned. "So your sister didn't save you? I know she went after you both."

Gatomon shook her head. "I haven't seen her since…that night."

"Oh…" Kouichi looked down. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Gatomon asked, placing a tentative paw on Kouichi's shoulder. "Kouichi dear, it isn't your fault that Witchmon went after me. I'm sure she's fine. She can take care of herself." Kouichi said nothing. "That's not what's wrong," Gatomon said, not as a question.

Kouichi glanced at Gatomon. "I never thought that you were a traitor. Even when I found out that you were working for our enemy. I never thought that."

Gatomon smiled briefly. "You wouldn't, would you? Always so ready to see the good in others, but not yourself."

Kouichi chuckled at that. "Is it good to try to kill your brother? Your friends? No, I don't think so. And now, she knows…" He closed his eyes.

"Who knows what?" Gatomon asked. "Kouichi, please; I want to help."

Kouichi sighed, sounding tired. "Kira knows…everything. I just know she does. Oh, she'll try to hide it, but deep down she'll be afraid of me. She'll hate me."

Gatomon realized suddenly what Kouichi was babbling about. "Kira knows about you and Duskmon?"

Kouichi sank to his knees, refusing to look up at Gatomon. "You know, I was afraid to tell them. Kira, Shino, Dai, Hotaru. I was an idiot; I should have told them sooner! Maybe I could have justified my actions to them then; but no, they aren't justifiable!"

Gatomon watched Kouichi torture himself, looking tortured as well. "Kouichi, stop. You didn't do anything wrong. So she found out; so what? Tell her what really happened from your point of view. I know she'll forgive you."

Kouichi looked up at Gatomon with an expression of anguish. "I can't," he said softly. "I can't tell her. I'm afraid to admit to what I've done. I just…can't"

"I see," Gatomon said softly. She paused, thinking of what to say next. _I have to measure my words carefully,_ she thought. _Anything I say could send him off the edge with the condition he's in._

Suddenly Gatomon pricked her ears up, hearing the approach of something. She looked up, seeing a winged creature flying toward them.

"A Digimon!" Gatomon tensed, ready to defend Kouichi.

"It's Zoe," Kouichi murmured, standing slowly. "I knew she'd follow me."

As the Digimon got closer, Gatomon realized that it was indeed Zephyrmon flying toward them, with Kira in tow.

Gatomon glanced at Kouichi, worry clear on her face. "Kouichi, Kira is with her. Are you…okay with that?"

Kouichi smiled darkly. "No, but she'll just keep following me. I just have to bear this, even if it ends in ruin."

Zephyrmon finally landed a few feet away, resuming her human form. They both stared at Kouichi for a moment, and then their gaze fell to Gatomon. She took a step backward, looking nervous.

"Gatomon," Kouichi said, reaching for Gatomon. He carefully lifted her into his arms, causing her to blush. "They won't attack if I vouch for you," he reassured, taking a step toward Zoe and Kira. "At least, Zoe won't."

"Kouichi, you're shaking," Gatomon murmured, referring to his hands.

Kouichi inhaled, trying to calm himself. "I'm actually debating over whether I should just run again."

While they were murmuring to each other, Zoe and Kira had run over to Kouichi, standing in front of him and Gatomon. Kira glanced at Gatomon. "Okay, what the hell? I thought you were one of the bad guys."

Gatomon looked down, muttering, "I'm sorry for what I did. It was wrong of me. But…I'll help you in any way I can. I promise."

Kira and Zoe glanced at each other and nodded. "Fair enough," she said, turning her attention to Kouichi. "Now what are we gonna do about you, Chief?"

Gatomon scrambled out of Kouichi's grip and landed lightly on the ground. Everyone stared at her questioningly. She turned to face them and said, "I promised that I would help you, but the only way I can accomplish that is if I do something productive. Like finding your parents?"

"Our parents are gone?" Kouichi and Kira exclaimed at the same time.

"I thought so," Zoe said. "Gatomon, does this have anything to do with your brother?"

Gatomon paused, then nodded. "He has something to do with it, but…"

"Okay, wait a minute!" said Kira. "Let me get this straight; that little midget with the pointy hat kidnapped our parents?"

"If you mean Wizardmon, I think that about sums it up," replied Gatomon. "Along with the backup he got."

"Backup?" Kouichi's eyes narrowed. "You mean he's responsible for…?" He glanced at Kira.

Kira returned Kouichi stare, saying, "Well, I don't know what this whole vendetta with Duskmon thing is all about, but if he took my dad, I'll help you beat that guy into next Tuesday as best I can!"

Kouichi's eyes widened. _She doesn't know,_ he realized, sighing with relief. He smiled and said, "I'll have to take you up on that offer."

Kira smiled back, looking determined. "Then what are we still doing here? We should be kicking the crap out of Duskmon!"

With that Kira turned and ran back the way she and Zoe had come from. Zoe sighed. "Kira, we don't know if Duskmon went that way, or if he's even still here!"

"I got a feeling!" Kira called, rounding a corner.

Zoe shook her head, feeling exasperated. "She really is just like Takuya," she muttered to herself.

"Yeah, but without the goggles," Kouichi said, smirking.

Zoe turned, staring at Kouichi. "Kouichi, she really doesn't know about you and…Duskmon," she said quietly, as if Kira would still be able to hear.

Kouichi looked down. "I know," he said, "but…I was so sure she did when we found her with Duskmon. He's just trying to get to me, but why? He doesn't have anything to gain from it."

Gatomon and Zoe stared a glance, both thinking the same thing. _He wants to get Kouichi worked up so that he'll have a tougher opponent._

"Well, I'll see you later, then," Gatomon said suddenly, stalking away. _She understands him just as well as I do,_ she thought, picturing Zoe's knowing glance. _Maybe more._

"Where are you going?" Kouichi asked.

"To find your parents," she said simply, bounding quickly out of sight. She didn't need to be here. Not anymore.

Kouichi frowned. "Darn," he muttered. "I didn't get to thank her for trying to change the subject with Kira."

"She tried to change the subject?" Zoe asked.

"I guess you didn't notice," Kouichi said. "She mentioned our parents out of nowhere, so that's probably what she was trying to do. At least, that's what I thought."

"Oh, I guess I didn't notice," Zoe said, feeling slightly put out.

Kouichi studied Zoe's expression and smiled. "Zoe Orimoto, are you jealous of a cat?"

Zoe blushed, glaring at Kouichi. "No, that's not it at!" Kouichi continued to stare at her. She sighed. "Okay, maybe you're right."

"Zoe, no one is ever going to be able to take your place," Kouichi said, expression turning serious. "Every time you're near me, I feel just a little bit happier."

"Yeah," Zoe replied somberly. "I think that you're confusing me with Kouji."

Kouichi sighed. "I didn't know you felt that inadequate. That's my thing."

Zoe chuckled at Kouichi's joke. "Zoe," Kouichi continued, "you give me something that Kouji can't give me."

"What's that?" Zoe asked.

Kouichi smiled. "You love me even though you don't have to."

Zoe frowned. "Kouji doesn't think that he has to love you."

"Now he doesn't," Kouichi said. "But he only tried to get to know me at first because I was his brother. You had no such inhibitions."

Zoe smiled slowly, feeling better. "You make me feel good too," she murmured.

Kouichi hesitated, then placed his hand on her head, playfully ruffling her hair. Zoe blinked. "Kouichi, that's pretty bold for you."

Kouichi quickly took his hand away, blushing madly. "Well, um…so, shall we follow Kira and make sure she doesn't do something reckless?"

Zoe giggled. "Sure!" Then she paused, grinning devilishly. "But, there's only one way we'll catch up with her now."

Kouichi's eyes widened. "Not reckless flying time."

"Sorry Kouichi, but it is necessary," she said, still grinning. Then she took her D-Tector and quickly Beast Spirit Evolved to Zephyrmon. "Alright, hop on!" she said to Kouichi.

"Oh, look at the time!" Kouichi exclaimed, looking at a non-existent watch. "Is it that late already? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to…"

Zephyrmon cut Kouichi off by grabbing him and lifting him high into the air. Kouichi stared at the ground, eyes wide. "Oh god," he muttered. "You know I hate this!"

Zephyrmon smirked. "Once again, it's necessary." _And this will keep your mind off of other things for awhile_, she added to herself, flying off at top speed into the night with her boyfriend clinging to her for dear life.

--

_madjack89: _Well, here you have it! I apologize for taking so long, and for the slight shortness of this chapter, but I've had a lot of stuff going, so bear with me!

_Kira:_ Listen to the kid! She speaks the truth!

_madjack89:_ …Thank you, Kira.

_Kira:_ Yuppers!

_madjack89:_ …Okay? Anyway, I have a favor to ask you guys.

_Takuya:_ Us?

_madjack89:_ No, you guys do enough. I meant the reading audience.

_Kouji:_ Thank god…

_madjack89:_ Okay, so I've been wanting to do another trailer-type amv for the sequel to this story and put it on youtube, but sadly, I have no pictures for Kira, Dai, Shino, or Hotaru!

_Daiki:_ No!

_madjack89:_ I know, it's terrible!

_Daiki:_ No, I mean we're out of cookies!

_madjack89: glares at Dai_

_Daiki:_ Sorry.

_madjack89:_ Anyway, I was wondering if some of you guys could try drawing those guys for me! Kind of like a fan art contest only without the contest! You can find descriptions of their appearances in chapter 10! In exchange, I'll send whoever sends me a picture of someone a special gift as a token of my appreciation and feature their work in an amv! Yay!

_Kira:_ Sweet! We'll finally have identities!

_Shino:_ And not just be faceless OCs.

_madjack89:_ Okay, here's how it'll work. Just attach your drawing to an email and send it to my email account (just go to my profile and click on email) and I'll use it in the amv (as long as it doesn't have anything sexual or bad or anything in it)! And also put what you would like me to credit you as in the video, and we'll be good to go! And I'll send you my special surprise thing! Hooray!

_Zoe:_ Sounds like fun!

_madjack89:_ That's right! Okay guys, please please please help me out here! You'll get special stuff and more! Alright, well, see you in chapter 29!


	31. Ch 29: Did We Win?

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier- Chapter 29: Did We Win? **

_madjack89: _Oh my god, just one more chapter until 30!

_Takuya:_ Wow.

_Kouichi:_ I guess congratulations are in order.

_madjack89:_ Thanks, Chief!

_Daiki:_ Does this mean we get cookies?

_madjack89:_ Um, sure! We can have cookies at the end!

_Daiki:_ Yay!

_Shino:_ Are you sure about that? I don't think Dai needs any more sugar considering he acts like he's on a constant sugar rush.

_JP:_ You gotta loosen up, man!

_madjack89:_ That's right!

_Kouji:_ I'm with you, Shino. Nobody here needs any more sugar.

_madjack89:_ You're such a downer, Kouji-kun!

_Kouji:_ Kouji-kun?

_madjack89:_ Review time!

_Dawn of Glory:_ I'm sorry I took so long! I was busy and stuff! Oh well, I'm sure you'll forgive me (maybe)! Anywoo, in answer to your question, Naruto's English catch phrase is Believe It! (Gets annoying after awhile, but I still love it!) His Japanese catch phrase is Dattebayo (I don't know what it means). Thanks for reviewing!

_greywindfalcon:_ Wow, so much coffee! It's okay if you don't feel like drawing! After all, I'm the one that asked you. So it's cool! Thanks for reviewing!

_agoodcupoftea:_ I got your message (though I guess you figured that out already)! Kouichi is a sweetheart! That's why we all love him! Anyways, thanks for reviewing!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Yeah, the idea of Zoe flying around recklessly with Kouichi clinging to her for dear life popped into my head, so I gave it a name and put it in the chapter! Kouichi doesn't mind the flying when it's not reckless, though. Aw, I'm sure your pictures would be fine! I wouldn't take them as insults! Oh well, I guess I'll see your review for this soon! Thanks for reviewing!

_Kayland Elric:_ (_Takuya:_ Wow, I guess you are like the twins. Thanks for telling me!) What else do you say? (_Takuya:_ …Sorry for running away in the middle of answering a review.) Good boy! Okay, let's see this review. Yeah, I probably should have done it differently, but I couldn't think of another way to organize it. Sorry! And actually, I drew Kira with a picture of Zoe as a reference and it turned out pretty good, but I don't have a scanner either (which is why I asked for help). Can you tell me the name of the website you're talking about? That would be really helpful! Okay, thanks for reviewing!

_kyokoaurora:_ Thank you! lol

_hazeleyedharmony:_ (_Takuya:_ Thanks!) You're going to try drawing them? Yay, thank you so so so so much! I am truly grateful! And whatever size your reviews are, I'm always glad to receive them! Thank you very, very much!

_aluminion:_ Um, Heroes looks like a cool show, but I can't say I've ever actually watched it. Maybe someday…but anyway, I am planning out in my head how Kira Beast Spirit Evolving is gonna go, and so far, it should be a riot! (_Takuya:_ I'm scared.) (_Kira:_ Of what?) (_Takuya:_ Ahhhh!) (_Kira:_ Dot dot dot?) Thanks for reviewing!

_Umeplumblossom:_ I'm sure you don't suck at drawing! But anyways, thanks for reviewing and not yelling at me for being slow!

_garnettfox:_ Dude, they're twins? Sweet! And they're not human? Sweet! Anyway, this story sounds cool you should put it up on fanfiction so I can read it! Thanks for reviewing!

_Kouji:_ Why did you call me Kouji-kun?

_madjack89:_ Just cause.

_Takuya:_ Paranoid much?

_Kouji:_ That's right…goggle boy.

_JP:_ Burn.

_Takuya:_ _too angry to reply_

_madjack89:_ Okay, time to start the chapter! Heh heh…

--

Grumblemon rolled out of the way as Duskmon thrust his sword down, right where Grumblemon's neck had been.

"You have to do better than that!" Grumblemon taunted, glancing down at the ground. _That's it!_ he thought excitedly.

"Here goes nothing!" Just as Duskmon charged toward him, sword held out, Grumblemon dug into the cement, burrowing a hole in the ground which he escaped into.

Duskmon skidded to a halt, glaring down at the hole. "How clever. You dug a hole. I wouldn't have expected THAT from the warrior of earth."

"Did you expect this?!" Grumblemon suddenly popped up behind Duskmon, swinging his hammer around to hit Duskmon. Duskmon smirked, leaping out of the way. While he dodged the attack, Grumblemon retreated back into his hole.

Duskmon landed on the ground, looking annoyed. "You know you can't win like this! I'll just dodge every attack you make! Give up!"

Grumblemon listened to Duskmon from below, growing nervous. _He's right. I can't beat him like this! I need to think of something else, fast!_

Meanwhile, Kumamon was locked in his own bout with Renamon.

"Diamond Storm!" Kumamon dodged left and right as shards of light whizzed around him.

"Is that the only attack you have?" Kumamon exclaimed as Renamon landed lightly on her feet.

She smirked. "Is that the only attack YOU have?" she asked, pointing to Kumamon's (I kid you not) snowball gun. (You can laugh now.)

"You want more power?" Kumamon asked threateningly. "I'll give you more power. Slide Evolution!"

Kumamon was engulfed in data, and moments later, Korikakumon stood in his place, smirking at Renamon. "Still want to fight?" he asked, lifting his axes threateningly.

Renamon stared at him, still looking bored. "Do you really think I'd be perturbed by a mere Beast Spirit?" She charged forward, paw glowing with energy. Korikakumon quickly lifted his axes, which halted her attack.

"You missed," Korikakumon taunted.

"Did I?" Before he realized it, Korikakumon felt Renamon's other glowing paw touch his arm. _I forgot her other paw,_ he thought for a split second.

Then he sunk slowly to his knees, suddenly feeling weak. "Wh-what…?" His vision grew hazy and he barely noticed that he had reverted to his human form. "What're you…?"

Renamon's paw grew brighter as Tommy grew weaker. "This is why Ilsemon values me," she stated. "For as long as I've lived, I have been able to either heal Digimon, or steal energy from them. I've wanted to test my powers on humans." She paused, seeming to study Tommy's weakening state. "Apparently, both affect Digimon and humans."

She took her paw off of Tommy as he fell to the ground, almost completely drained of energy. He attempted to get to his knees, but his body wouldn't respond.

Renamon stared at her glowing paw, gazing at the bright energy held in it. Then it dissipated, flowing into her body. She glanced at Tommy, saying, "I am finished here. I hope to see you again…in the Digital World." Renamon leaped onto the roof of a nearby house and quickly faded into the distance.

Wizardmon glanced behind him, noticing Renamon's retreat. "Odd," he muttered. "I was sure Duskmon would be the first to beat his opponent."

"Screw you!" Duskmon cried, searching the now numerous holes for any sign of Grumblemon. "Don't you humans have a stupid game like this?"

"That would be Whack a Mole," Arbormon answered warily, glancing between Duskmon and Wizardmon. _Okay, Renamon left. That's good. What's not good is that Tommy and Hotaru are unconscious. But, if Dai can distract Duskmon long enough, we'll get some backup from the others. Right?_

"You should be concentrating less on strategy and more on what you're doing now," Wizardmon said, startling Arbormon out of his thoughts.

"I'm not exactly the impulsive fighter type," Arbormon said. "But if that's what you want, so be it!"

"Calm down, calm down," said Wizardmon slowly, holding up his hands. "I'm not going to fight you yet. First I want to make a proposition."

"Proposition?" Arbormon stared at Wizardmon. "What are you talking about?"

Wizardmon reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a small item. He held it in his enclosed fist, smiling. "Shino, let's not beat around the bush. For awhile now, you've been searching for me, haven't you?"

Arbormon fell silent, surprised that Wizardmon knew that.

"That's right," Wizardmon continued. "I know when you're using that stupid power I gave you to track me. And after putting some thought into it, I found the reason why."

Wizardmon slowly unclenched his fist, revealing the object in his gloved hand to be Gatomon's tail ring.

Arbormon's eyes widened in fear. "You took it from her," he said, stating the obvious.

Wizardmon chuckled. "Yes, I did," he said. "Though, it wasn't initially because of you. I just needed to protect her from…" Wizardmon's eyes clouded for a moment, locked in a memory. He shook his head, chasing away whatever he had been thinking.

"Anyway, I realized you're plan. I'd noticed the way you always looked at that Zoe girl, like she was the most beautiful thing on the planet." Wizardmon whispered the next sentence. "You're in love with her."

Arbormon flinched, the pain of rejection creeping through him again.

Wizardmon smirked. "It surprised me that none of you're little friends noticed. Well, except for one: Kouichi Kimura."

"What?" Arbormon exclaimed. "What are you talking about?" He said this, but on the inside, he knew it was true. He had known since that disastrous Christmas Eve. It was ironic how much the tables had turned for them.

"Yes, it's so tragic," Wizardmon continued. "He gets the girl, and what are you left with? Nothing.

"But you wouldn't go down without a fight. You had to get back at him, get even. So you came up with an idea. You started thinking _I wonder what would happen if I could turn things around, manipulate emotions_."

Arbormon stared at the ground, trying to block out Wizardmon's words.

"And then it came to you: Gatomon's tail ring. With that, I could remove Kouichi from the picture and become a shoulder for Zoe to cry on."

"I won't do it," Arbormon whispered.

"She'd love you and not him." Wizardmon laughed. "I must admit, I was impressed. I didn't think you had it in you, but you really are just as bad as the monsters you fight."

"No I'm not," Arbormon said, fear intensifying.

"And now look at you, trying to act the saint, while inside, you still want her for yourself. You want to make Kouichi pay for stealing her."

"No I don't," Arbormon said, voice growing louder.

"Well, here are your options. You could either play pretend heroes with your 'friends,' or take this tail ring and realize your greatest desire. They can't give it to you, but I can."

"Shut up, you son of a bitch!" Arbormon snapped, glaring furiously at Wizardmon. "I made my decision."

Wizardmon smirked. "Then why are my words affecting you at all?"

Arbormon's eyes narrowed. Why was it so hard to refuse Wizardmon's offer? He couldn't still want to ruin things for Kouichi and Zoe, could he? _I'm not a monster,_ he thought vehemently. _But…do I think like one?_

"I…I don't know," Arbormon answered quietly, hanging his head.

"I see," Wizardmon said, glancing to his left. Suddenly, he smiled. "Let me help you make up your mind."

Wizardmon lifted his wand up just as Agunimon leaped out of nowhere, headed for Wizardmon. He came to a halt just inches from Wizardmon's glowing weapon.

"Crap," Agunimon muttered.

"Takuya?" Arbormon exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, at first I was trying to catch up with you guys. Then, I was trying to help you out with Wizardmon here. And now I guess I'm being held at wand-point by a Vivi wannabe," Agunimon explained, ticking off the reasons on his fingers.

"Vivi wannabe?" Arbormon chuckled. "You know, that's pretty good. Why didn't we come up with that one earlier?"

"I don't know," Agunimon replied, laughing at his own joke. "But it is pretty accurate, when you think about it."

"Enough!" Wizardmon cried, jabbing his wand into Agunimon's chest.

"Argh!" Agunimon wrapped his arms around himself as his chest began to burn with a heat that rivaled his own.

"Magical fire is funny that way," Wizardmon said, still pointing his wand threateningly at Agunimon. "It can burn even someone like you."

"Takuya!" Arbormon stepped forward, meaning to distract Wizardmon so that Agunimon could escape.

Wizardmon turned his head to face Arbormon. "Even if you distract me, he can't run. I've paralyzed him."

"You can attack both of us, but I'll endanger Takuya if I attack you," Arbormon muttered, cursing under his breath.

"Why are you so damn smart?" Agunimon asked sarcastically, glaring at Wizardmon.

"Because I use my brain," Wizardmon replied, returning his attention to Arbormon. "I think this would be a good time to test you."

Wizardmon held up his other hand which still held Gatomon's tail ring.

Arbormon stared at Wizardmon quizzically. "How does this test me?"

"Like this." Wizardmon's fist clenched around the ring, causing it to emit a small cracking sound.

"No!" Arbormon cried, eyes wide.

Wizardmon stared at Arbormon triumphantly. "I knew that you wouldn't give her up that easily."

Arbormon flinched while Agunimon glanced between Wizardmon and Arbormon. "Shino, what's he talking about?" Agunimon asked.

Wizardmon smiled wickedly. "I'm leaving it up to you, Shino. Either you go for the ring or you go for your friend."

Agunimon scoffed. "What kind of test is that? Gatomon even said she didn't care that it was gone, so it must not be that important. Right, Shino?"

Agunimon's smile faltered when he saw the indecision in Arbormon's eyes. "Shino?" he said softly.

"It's finally dawning on you, isn't it?" Wizardmon chuckled at Agunimon. "He might not choose to save you."

Genuine fear crossed Agunimon's face. "But…Shino's my…"

"Your friend," Wizardmon finished Agunimon's sentence for him. "Well, there are more powerful things than friendship. Love, for example."

"Love?" Agunimon glanced at Arbormon. "Shino…" Suddenly it came to him. The only person it could logically be was… "Zoe."

Arbormon nodded. "That's right."

"But then…" Another thought suddenly popped into Agunimon's head. He gasped. "No Shino, you can't! You just can't do that!"

"It's the only way," Arbormon muttered half to himself.

"Shino!" Agunimon cried. "Listen to me. I know what it's like to be rejected, okay? It sucks, but you have to let it go! She's happy; isn't that all that matters?"

Duskmon paused to glance at Wizardmon. "Whatever happened to getting revenge on that kid," he muttered, annoyed.

Wizardmon glared at Duskmon. "You really thought that I would waste this opportunity to strengthen Ilsemon's ranks because I wanted revenge? You underestimate my self control, Duskmon."

"And you overestimate mine," Duskmon growled, swinging his sword out just as Grumblemon dove back in his hole. "Damn it!"

"Okay," Arbormon said, bringing Wizardmon's attention back to his own altercation.

"You've made a decision?" Wizardmon asked. "Alright; which will it be?"

Arbormon closed his eyes, chuckling to himself. "I choose…"

"Thunder Fist!" Suddenly Beetlemon shot down from the sky, pounding his lightening-charged fist into the ground just in front of Wizardmon. Wizardmon clenched both his fists, stunned by the sudden attack.

The hand that held his wand caused the wand to shoot a flame straight at Agunimon. Before the blast hit him, Arbormon shot out his arm, grabbed Agunimon, and pulled him out of the way.

Wizardmon's other hand crushed Gatomon's tail ring.

Beetlemon faced Wizardmon, looking triumphant. "Out of all the last minute saves I've performed, I think this will always be one of my favorites," he said, pointing at Wizardmon. "I mean, just look at your eyes! That's gold right there!"

Wizardmon scowled. "You…"

Duskmon chuckled while staring at Wizardmon's ruined plot, though he wasn't laughing at that. "There you are," he muttered, spinning around just in time to block Lobomon's attack.

Their swords collided, both equal in strength to the other. Lobomon glared at Duskmon with unconcealed fury. "Duskmon…"

Duskmon smirked. "This scene seems quite familiar to me. Episode 21, right?"

"Why are you here?" Lobomon growled.

"To haunt you in and out of your nightmares," Duskmon replied. "Though I suppose memories of me would trouble your brother more than you."

"What did you do to him?" Lobomon's sword began to glow brighter as his rage grew stronger.

"You always assume the worst," Duskmon said, smirking. "I paid him a visit, but I assure you, we were just catching up. We're all friends here, right?"

"I'm no friend of yours!" Lobomon glared at Duskmon as if he'd like nothing better than to run his sword through Duskmon's throat, repeatedly.

Duskmon stared at Lobomon evenly. "You might want to be more careful. Letting your emotions rule you like this could be your downfall."

"Oh, now you're giving me advice?" Lobomon asked slightly hysterically. "What would your new 'master' think of that, huh? Would she punish you like a dog?"

Duskmon suddenly flipped Lobomon's (I gotta do it) Light Saber over, causing it to fly out of his hands. Before he could react, Duskmon had both his blades crossed at Lobomon's throat.

"I serve but one master, and I assure you, she is more powerful than even you, oh glorious warrior of light," Duskmon said quietly, a mad twinkle in his eye. "She will have your blood, but it will not be from mine hand." He slowly lowered his blades from Lobomon's neck, seeming to come back to his senses.

Lobomon trembled slightly, trying to calm himself down as well. "So Ilsemon does want me dead," Lobomon mused.

Duskmon chuckled. "I never said that my master was Ilsemon."

Suddenly a hammer flew through the air, coming in contact with Duskmon's skull. He landed in a heap on the ground, unconscious.

Lobomon's eyes widened in surprise at Grumblemon, who was staring triumphantly at Duskmon, holding his hammer firmly in his hands. "I did it!" Grumblemon exclaimed, bouncing up and down with joy. "I beat Duskmon!"

Lobomon sighed wearily. "Congratulations," he said, smiling despite himself.

Wizardmon suddenly rushed over to Duskmon, evading Beetlemon's grasp. He grabbed a bottle out of his coat, preparing to smash it on the ground. He glared at everyone in turn, eyes resting on Arbormon. He smirked, saying, "I'll see you all in the Digital World."

Then he broke the bottle and a burst of smoke engulfed him and Duskmon. When the smoke cleared, they were gone.

Everyone stood in silence for a moment, staring at the spot where Wizardmon and Duskmon had been.

"Um, can I come out now?" Tomoyo asked, stepping out from behind a tree.

Beetlemon smiled. "Well, looks like it's over for now, guys."

"They'll be back," Lobomon said, reverting back to his human form.

"Can't you just be happy that we won?" JP asked, turning his attention to Tomoyo, who ran up and flung her arms around him.

"I beat Duskmon!" Daiki exclaimed, still hopping up and down. "I really, super-duper beat him!"

Kouji smirked. "Dai, where the hell do you get all this energy from?"

"Oh sure, you laugh at him," JP muttered between Tomoyo's kisses.

While this was going on, Shino was staring wistfully at the shattered remains of Gatomon's tail ring.

"Shino," Takuya said quietly, approaching Shino from behind.

Shino sighed, trying to hold back his grief. "At one point, I really thought I had a shot at her," he muttered. He sighed again, turning to face Takuya. "I would have picked you, if you can believe that at this point."

"Of course I believe it," Takuya said reassuringly, placing a hand on Shino's shoulder. "It would take a lot more than that to shatter my trust in you."

Shino smiled bitterly. "Thank you, Taki."

Takuya chuckled. "Now that's what I like to hear!" He grabbed Shino's arm and dragged him over to the others, who were trying to figure out how to go about treating Hotaru's wounds and reviving Tommy.

"Kouji, what took you two so long to get here?" Takuya asked.

"Takuya, it has been a long night, and there is nothing I would like more than to break your nose just for the hell of it," Kouji snapped.

"Somebody's cranky," Tomoyo said.

Kouji glared at her. "You know, I'm not above hitting girls."

"Aw, don't pick on him, guys," JP said, trying to defend Kouji. "It has been a long night, and with Duskmon and all…"

Takuya's expression grew somber. "Oh, right," he murmured, glancing at Kouji. "Are you alright?"

Kouji sighed. "Like I said, it's been a long night."

Everyone was silent for a moment. "You ever feel like you're missing out on something, Dai?" Tomoyo asked sarcastically.

"I'm used to it," Daiki said, shrugging.

"Well, I'll feel better when I see that Kouichi's okay," Kouji said.

"Incoming!" Everyone looked up suddenly to see Zephyrmon flying toward them, Kouichi clinging tightly to her.

"Aw, I miss everything!" Kira cried, rounding the corner just as Zephyrmon landed in front of Kouji.

"Hey Kira," Takuya greeted her, slightly confused. "Um, how did you know we were here fighting some Digimon?"

"Because Mr. Freaky Eyeball Duskmon took it upon himself to rip my window right out of my wall and drag me into a fight," Kira explained. "The nerve of him!"

Takuya flinched, glancing over at Zephyrmon. She returned his glance and mouthed, _I'll explain later_.

Takuya nodded, looking back at Kira. "You know, Kira, I really doubt that he had to drag you into a fight," Takuya said, chuckling.

Kira glared at Takuya, and then smirked. "You know me too well, Taki."

"Kouji," Zephyrmon said after several moments of trying to get Kouichi off of her. "Can you please get your brother to stop clinging to me?"

Kouji sighed. "Kouichi, you're on the ground now." Kouichi didn't budge.

"You think he's in shock?" JP asked.

"No, he'll be fine. Watch." Kouji stepped up to Kouichi and poked him in the side.

"Gah!" Kouichi cried, falling to the ground. He got up slowly, glaring at Kouji and Zoe. "You two just love to torture me, don't you?"

"It was necessary," Kouji and Zoe said at the same time.

"Well, there's one good thing that came out of tonight," Daiki said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him questioningly. "We won't get in trouble from our parents again!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Daiki was right.

"But where are they?" Takuya asked, looking up at the sky.

--

_madjack89:_ Yes indeed, where are they? We'll have to find out in the next chapter, which will barely have any of you guys in it at all!

_Takuya:_ What?! But we're the main characters!

_madjack89:_ But I'm gonna explain where your parents are, where Witchmon is, and what Yutaka and your cousin are doing.

_Takuya:_ Fine.

_Kouji:_ She won't have a chance to do anything to us, so fine.

_Daiki:_ Can we have those cookies now?

_madjack89:_ Sure! Here you go!

_Daiki:_ Yay! _starts wolfing down cookies_

_Tommy:_ I want some too!

_Kira:_ Yeah, save some for us!

_madjack89:_ Calm down guys, I have another batch for the rest of you.

_Takuya, Kira, and Tommy:_ Yay!

_Kouji:_ They're like some big stupid happy family.

_Zoe:_ They're our big stupid happy family, Kouji.

_Kouji:_ Yeah, I know.

_madjack89:_ And with that out of the way, I will end on this note: HA HA, I GOT OUT OF SCHOOL EARLY TODAY DUE TO SNOW! WOOT! Okay, see you guys in the next pulse-pounding chapter of Frontier 02: Home Frontier!


	32. Ch 30: Now For Something Different

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier- Chapter 30: And Now For Something Completely Different**

_madjack89: _Just as the title says, this chapter's gonna take us in a much different direction than what you guys are used to with this story, but it'll still be cool! I promise!

_Yutaka:_ Where did everybody go?

_madjack89:_ Well, since they've been working so hard, I gave the main characters a little time off to enjoy their Christmas!

_Shinya:_ Wait, they get time off and we don't?

_Chikao:_ We're supporting characters. We're just lucky to be here.

_madjack89:_ That's the spirit, Chikao! Anyway, this chapter will focus mainly on two characters: Takuya's little brother, Shinya, and Takuya's cousin, Chikao!

_Yutaka:_ And me!

_madjack89:_ And let me introduce to you Shino's little sister, Nanami!

_Nanami:_ Hi, everyone! My name's Nanami Kosuke! I'm ten years old (almost eleven), I have an impeccable fashion sense, if I do say so myself, and I'm in the same class as Tom-Tom and Shinya!

_Yutaka:_ Tom-Tom? You mean Tommy?

_Nanami:_ Yeah, that's what I call him!

_Shinya:_ She likes to use pet names with people. _Though I don't have a pet name…_

_madjack89:_ Okay, let me describe Nanami's appearance. She's about as tall as Tommy; she has really light brown hair, and grey eyes. Her hair goes down to right above her shoulders, so she has the shortest hair of all the girls in this story. _cough_ AndshehasamajorcrushonTommy _cough_

_Yutaka: _What was that?

_madjack89:_ Oh, nothing!

_Chikao:_ Is it review time yet?

_madjack89:_ Yes Chikao, I'll answer reviews. And then I'll explain how this chapter's gonna work!

_hazeleyedharmony:_ Let me answer this in the following way: snowballs, Tommy, snowballs; I'm sure Duskmon would dominate at DDR; Shino says he thanks you once again for being his fan and stuff, but I still couldn't let him get the tail ring (aww…); I secretly think Takuya has ADD; use the force Kouji, the force; Dai ruins many moments, but that's what he's there for; you know, Dai is twelve, and he only acts innocent; ha ha, it snowed! Okay, that was one big run-on sentence for you to enjoy! Thanks for reviewing!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Yay big stupid happy families! …Darn, Kouji's not here to rain on my parade, and Takuya's not here to boost me up! Oh well, I'll live! Anyway, I really wish I had Kumamon's snowball gun! That would be amazing! Rapid-fire snowballs baby! Ha ha ha…but yeah, thanks for reviewing!

_agoodcupoftea:_ You know, I freak out like Kouichi does when I get poked in the side, so I find that part doubly funny! And it got really cold where I live the other day! Like, negative temperatures! So yeah, I was bundled like an Eskimo! Thanks for the review!

_JewelledTears:_ Man, everyone wants a snowball gun! They should have made some sort of Digimon Frontier snowball gun or something! They would have made big bucks! Anyway, sorry about the lack of snow, but yay for no school! Thank you for the review!

_garnettfox:_ Aw, I'm glad they care! But why is it so much fun to hit Taki? I wonder if it would be fun to hit Kouji, too. I'll try hitting them when they get back! Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

_Dawn of Glory:_ Yeah, I know it's you! But ha ha, Madjack got out of school, baby! Woot! It's all good to take your time on your stories, though! I can be patient! Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

_kyokoaurora:_ Wow, lots of people have said that I give the characters depth! Well, I'm glad that I seem to do that kind of thing! Thanks!

_Aldamonburst:_ Hey there, new buddy (god, I'm picking up Takuya's phrases)! This is seriously your favorite fanfic on this site! Wow, I am truly flattered! Thank you so much! (And sorry no one's Tommy's age. That's the way things worked out.)

_Kayland Elric:_ I'm glad that this chapter was more interesting (this part bores me too)! But luckily, after this, we're going to get into the really juicy stuff! I'm so excited! Yay! But oh my gosh, the comment box didn't let you give me the address of the site! It didn't show up! Darn it! Well, I'll find the site sometime! And don't worry, Stars Wars references have not yet died! Thanks!

_aluminion:_ Yay for idiots who don't turn on the heating! Oh god, Dai is gonna flip when he sees this thing (and yes, I mean literally flip). Then when I give everyone a piece, they'll all get in a sugar rush. So I think I'll keep this here for them until the next chapter! Okay, thank you and a merry Christmas to you, too!

_Megmo8214:_ Thank you, Megmo! I was wondering where you went actually! But it's all good!

_nikigrl-123:_ Oh, that makes sense! Thanks! And thanks for the review!

_madjack89:_ Okay, here's how it'll go. This chapter's gonna be told from Shinya and Chikao's points of view, so it's not gonna be lovely little me narrating (aw). I'll indicate at the beginning of each section whose point of view it is to clear up confusion. Okay?

_Chikao:_ Sounds good.

_Shinya:_ I'm okay with that.

_madjack89:_ Alright, let's start this thing!

--

_Shinya's POV_

I peered into my brother's room, trying to get a glimpse of my older cousin, Chikao. He had come "right out of the blue," as Mom said, because he never visits any of our family members, ever.

Needless to say, I had never met him before, but I'd heard stories from Takuya. He always talked about Chikao like he had been his idol or something. And Takuya's my idol, so I was instantly curious by Chikao's sudden visit. But when I tried to introduce myself, he completely ignored me. He just walked right by me and headed into Takuya's room, closing the door behind him.

Luckily, over the years, I had become an expert at spying on my brother when he was in his room. All I would ever have to do was carefully, quietly open the door just a crack, and he never noticed I was there.

I hoped that, since Chikao and Takuya were supposedly alike, I'd be able to pull the same trick. And, sure enough, I managed to open the door wide enough to see Chikao sprawled out on Takuya's bed without him noticing me.

I smirked because he looked just like Takuya always does when he's lying on his bed. _I guess they really are alike,_ I thought.

Then I heard a voice coming from the other side of the room, but I didn't want to give myself away by opening the door further, so I just stood and listened.

"He'll be coming in a few moments," said the voice quietly. "He won't harm them; he'll merely take them somewhere and lock them up. When it's over, their memories will be erased so they won't remember what happened."

_Who is "them?"_ I wondered, beginning to get nervous. The voice I heard sounded like it was staging a coup or something.

I watched as Chikao sat up on the bed and stared blankly at the floor. "You know I don't care what happens to them," he muttered. "They can all just die."

My eyes widened in fear when Chikao lifted his head and stared right at me. "Right, Shinya?"

Suddenly I saw the source of the voice I'd heard. The person was small, kind of like a dwarf. He had on this ancient-looking tattered cloak and an equally old wizard hat. I couldn't see his face, but it didn't matter, because I knew who this person was when he took a large wand from his cloak and pointed it at me.

He was a monster.

I ran. I didn't think, I just ran. Out the door, down the street. Everything went by in a giant blur. My heart was pounding in my chest, but I couldn't stop. My legs just kept going until I finally hit something.

I fell to the ground and now that I was done running, I finally considered what the monster had said. _He'll be coming in a few moments…_

"He's coming after my family!" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet.

"Who?" I realized then that I had run into a someone, not a something. I blushed as Nanami got to her feet, brushing dirt off her pants.

"Nanami," I murmured in greeting, staring at my feet to try to hide my blush. "I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Neither was I," she said, and I realized her voice sounded shaky and there were unshed tears in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

She looked at me with wide eyes. "Shinya, would you believe me if I told you that my parents were just kidnapped by a monster?"

This day was just getting more and more complicated as it went on. But there was one thing that I could put together through my jumble of thoughts. For one reason or another, monsters were out to kidnap both my family and Nanami's.

"It's not really that hard to believe," I began slowly, "because I think that it's about to happen to my family, too."

Nanami looked at me for a moment, and all I could see was concern for me in her eyes. Then she pulled me into a tight hug and began to sob on my shoulder.

Despite everything that that happened, I couldn't help but feel pure ecstasy when she hugged me like that. At that moment, I was the only one who could comfort and help her, and I would.

So, reluctantly, I pulled myself out of her embrace and said, "Where's your brother, Nanami? You said your parents were kidnapped, but what about him?"

"Shino?" Oh right, that was his name. "I…I don't know. When he got home, he shut himself in his room again. He's been really moody lately. I don't even know if the monster knew he was there."

"But wouldn't Shino have noticed the noise?" I countered. "I mean, doesn't kidnapping involve some noise?"

Nanami shook her head. "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have known it was happening. It didn't make any noise at all. I just happened to be walking out of my room and I saw it sneaking up behind my mom. It just touched her and she fell over. I guess the monster knows about pressure points or something.

"Then it moved to my dad. He was sitting in a chair reading the paper, and the monster did the same thing to him. I was scared and I didn't know what to do, so I crept back into my room, climbed out my window, and ran. What if I left Shino there with it alone?!"

"It'll be fine," I said, though I didn't know if it would be fine myself. "Shino can take care of himself. He'll be fine."

"But what if he's not!" Nanami exclaimed. "I don't want him to get hurt!"

"Calm down," I muttered, glancing over my shoulder. No one was near us, so I continued. "Okay, let's just think about this for a second."

Nanami nodded. "Okay."

"Alright," I began. "First of all, our parents have been kidnapped by monsters for who knows what reason. We're just kids, so there's no way we're a threat to them. That's a problem, because there's no way we would be able to bargain them back."

"And no one would believe us if we said our parents were kidnapped by monsters," Nanami added, looking exasperated. "We are screwed!"

Suddenly a thought came to me. Maybe there was one person who would believe me. It was a stretch, but he might just be able to help. "Takuya," I muttered.

"Your brother?" Nanami asked.

"Yeah," I said, a plan forming in my head. "He was sleeping over at what's-his-face's house tonight! And maybe if we just told it to him straight out, he'd believe us!"

Nanami frowned. "But why would he believe that a monster randomly decided to kidnap our families?"

"Because he's interested in them," I said smugly. "He always reads stuff about them in the paper and everything. He's crazy enough to believe us!"

"It might work," Nanami said, smiling at me (I love it when she smiles at me!). "But there's one thing we're over-looking."

"And that would be?" I asked.

"Who is what's-his-face and where does he live?"

--

_a while later (use your imaginations)_

_still Shinya's POV_

"Okay," I began, "We have narrowed it down to either JP's house or…um…"

"Kouji's house," Nanami said.

"Right, Kouji," I said, grinning sheepishly. "I really should be able to remember that considering how much Takuya complains about him."

"You really are terrible with names," Nanami said, chuckling. I blushed as she continued. "Well, I guess we'll just start with Kouji's house and see if Takuya's there."

"Why Kirby's?" I asked.

"Kouji's!" Nanami corrected. "And it's closer than JP's house. Plus, Kouji isn't half bad looking!"

I frowned, feeling a little put out. "Why do girls always go for the older men," I muttered to myself.

"What?" Nanami asked.

"Nothing!" I said quickly. "C'mon, let's go!"

--

_STILL Shinya's POV_

A few minutes later, we approached the house, feeling a bit wary. Nanami hovered shyly behind me as I walked up to the door and knocked twice. When no one answered, I knocked again. Still nothing.

"Shinya?" Nanami crept up next to me, trembling. "Wh-what if the monsters came here, too? What i-if they're planning some sort of invasion?"

Swallowing my own fears, I replied, "Well, then the army or something will handle it, right? I mean, we're just kids."

We stood there for a moment, silent. Then Nanami said, "I wonder if Tom-Tom's okay."

I winced as I always did when our conversations turned to Tommy. I knew I shouldn't be, but I couldn't help it. I was jealous of Tommy. I knew that it wasn't his fault that Nanami liked him, but because of him, she never seemed to notice that I had feelings for her…

"Shinya?" Nanami's voice snapped me out of my darker thoughts.

"What?" I asked listlessly, still thinking about Tommy.

"Isn't that your brother's watch over there?" she asked, pointing to a watch lying on the sidewalk.

"Yeah," I said, walking over and picking up the watch. It had the initials TK on the back of it. "Either this is my brother's or Season 2 characters are invading this story."

"Why was it lying on the ground like that?" Nanami asked thoughtfully, examining the watch.

I stared at the watch for a moment. "Takuya," I muttered to myself. "Where are you?"

--

_Chikao's POV_

I sighed, feeling weary. I had been to hell and back today, and my entire outlook on life had been altered. Plus, I was being held captive.

I tried to reposition my arms, which only caused Yutaka to grip me tighter. "Not so fast," he muttered.

I sighed again, glancing back at my captor. "Yutaka, please let me go. You've already won; I concede defeat. Now all I want to do is lie down. Please."

I don't know if it was my pleas or that he was just as tired as I was, but after a moment of silence, he let me go.

"Just don't try anything," Yutaka said as I lat down on Takuya's bed. "I'll be watching you."

I didn't answer, instead choosing to stare blankly at the ceiling. Now that I had a chance to calm down and think, I realized that I felt relieved. I'd finally told someone my deepest, darkest secret; the weight that I carried had been lifted however slightly. I smiled, closing my eyes.

Just as I was drifting into sleep, Yutaka said, "So, what the hell was going through your head earlier?"

I glanced to my right, seeing Yutaka sitting in a chair and staring at me curiously. "I might as well tell you, since you already know about Digimon," I said, sitting up. Then, for the second time that day, I recounted my tale. Yutaka was shocked and sympathetic in all the right places, just like Takuya.

"Wow," Yutaka muttered after I had finished. "I had no idea that you were going through all that. I just thought you were a two-faced jerk."

I smirked. "You mean how I treated you differently than anyone else?"

Yutaka nodded. "Why was that?" he asked. "Is it because Tommy's got…powers?"

"I didn't know about that until recently myself," I said. "But somehow I'd always suspected Takuya would do something great in his lifetime. I just didn't know how great."

Yutaka chuckled. "Everyone likes to think that about their relatives." We sat in silence for a few moments, then Yutaka said, "So, why did you treat me differently?"

"I wasn't fake with you," I replied simply and honestly, gauging Yutaka's reaction. He seemed baffled by my response. I smirked.

"Wait, so, you being friendly and stuff with everyone…that was a lie?" he asked slowly.

I nodded. "I'm not what you'd call a friendly person by nature. Neither is Takuya. That's another one of the things we have in common."

"Takuya's pretty friendly." I knew he would say that.

"Like I said, that's one of the ways we're alike," I replied. "Do you ever see him hanging out with anyone but his small circle of friends?"

Yutaka paused, then said, "Wow, I guess not. You two really are alike."

I smiled, saying, "Aren't you going to ask me why I acted like myself around you?"

Yutaka looked at me for a moment and smiled. "You've been waiting for my to ask that, haven't you?" I nodded. "Okay, what makes me so special?"

I paused for a moment, and then said, "Because I like you."

"Whoa!" Yutaka exclaimed, blushing. "I'm sorry there, man, but I don't exactly play for THAT particular team, if you know what I mean."

"I didn't mean like that," I said, sighing. "I'm straight, too."

"Oh," he said, sighing with relief. "Well, what do you mean?"

"I mean that you're interesting," I attempted to explain. "You just kind of fascinate me. I really don't know how to describe it. But…if you'd rather just avoid me after this or something like that, I wouldn't blame you. I've been an ass."

I stared at my hands, suddenly feeling depressed again. After tonight, no one that actually mattered to me would want anything to do with me. I'd be alone again…

"Chikao." I looked up just as Yutaka pulled me into a hug. Before I could stop it, a tear escaped my eye and ran down my cheek.

"You mean…?" I murmured, unable to finish the sentence.

"That's right," Yutaka said, hugging me tighter. "You don't have to be alone anymore. From now on, you and I are friends."

After a few moments I put my arms around Yutaka, embracing him as well. "Friends."

--

_Shinya's POV_

Nanami and I wandered aimlessly through the streets, not sure what to do next. Our parents were gone. Our siblings were gone. Our siblings' weird friends were gone, as were their parents. What did it all add up to?

This is what I wish I had been thinking, but instead, I was busy thinking of my jealousy toward Tommy. _It's not fair,_ I thought, clenching my fists. _Why is Tommy so special? Why do Nanami and Takuya always talk about him? What about me? I'm important, too!_

"Shinya, get down!" Nanami suddenly exclaimed, dragging me into a bush with her. I was about to protest until I noticed what had caught her attention.

In the middle of the street we had almost walked on, I saw a whole group of monsters, with Tommy and another one of Takuya's friends lying unconscious in the middle of their group.

Nanami squeezed my arm. "They have Tom-Tom! We have to do something!"

"I know," I said, reminding myself that Tommy was my friend. "We need to save the giant, too."

"You mean Hotaru?" How did she know all these names?

I looked around, trying to find something I could use as a weapon.

"Shinya, two of the monsters just left!" Nanami hissed, pointing in the direction of the retreating monsters.

I looked up and my whole world turned upside-down. Before my eyes, all the monsters standing before us turned into my brother's friends. One after another, they transformed into their human counterparts. But what surprised me the most was when, right before my eyes, a red monster turned into my brother, Takuya.

"Shino," Nanami murmured, staring at the scene before us with wide eyes. I couldn't even put into words what I was feeling at that moment.

I barely noticed when a fairy-like monster joined the group with Kirby's brother in its grasp.

"His name is Kouichi, Shinya, and his brother's name is Kouji." Seriously, how does she know all this?

I also saw my brother's girlfriend, Kira (at least I know her name), run up and start yelling about something-or-other.

"I'm going out there." I jumped as Nanami began to get to her feet.

"Nanami, wait!" I said. "Didn't you see that? They just…" I couldn't finish the sentence, it was so surreal.

Nanami crouched down and stared me right in the eye. "The only people I see out there are my brother, your brother, and their friends. They are not monsters, no matter what we just saw."

I hung my head, knowing she was right. "Okay," I said quietly, standing up. Then both of us stepped out of the bushes, making enough noise to cause the others to look in our direction.

Everything froze for a moment as Nanami and I watched our brothers' eyes widen.

"Um, you guys didn't happen to see what we were doing a second ago, did you?" asked JP (his name's easy to remember).

"We did," Nanami and I said at the same time.

We stood in silence for another few moments. "Crap," Takuya muttered. "You guys better grab a seat; this is gonna be a long explanation!"

--

_no one's POV_

Witchmon gently placed Mrs. Kimura on her couch and sighed in relief. "Operation foil Wizardmon's plans by bringing back everyone's parents is a success!" she said to herself, smiling. "I love ruining his day!"

Witchmon flinched when Mrs. Kimura suddenly began to moan softly. _Crap, she's waking up!_

Before Mrs. Kimura saw her, Witchmon dove out the window and hid behind a dumpster to regroup.

"Next order of business," Witchmon muttered to herself. "Find my sister."

--

_still no one's POV_

Gatomon checked every run down, burnt out building in the area, but she didn't find the kidnapped parents anywhere.

"Wizardmon," Gatomon grumbled. "If you let that slime ball Duskmon harm one hair on their heads…"

"What would you do to him, my dear Gatomon?"

Gatomon froze, recognizing instantly the voice coming from behind her. "Ilsemon."

Ilsemon chuckled, reaching down and petting a paralyzed Gatomon with her hand. "You've been a very bad pet, Gatomon. You need to be punished for your naughtiness."

Ilsemon picked Gatomon up, cradling her in her arms. And, with Gatomon in tow, she walked down the street, headed back to the Digital World.

--

_madjack89:_ Yeah, this took longer than I expected and the whole Christmas vacation thing is over, but the gang isn't coming back until the next chapter, so deal with it!

_Chikao:_ …Okay.

_Nanami:_ Why did you do that to Gatomon? I liked her!

_madjack89:_ Um, sorry!

_Yutaka:_ So, are we ever going to get back in the story again?

_madjack89:_ Of course! From now on the four of you, plus Tomoyo, will be the Scooby Gang, because you're the only ones that know the gang's secret!

_Yutaka:_ Are you copying that from Buffy?

_madjack89:_ Shut up!

_Shinya:_ _reads notes_ Wait a minute! The next chapter is the last one in this story?

_madjack89:_ Yup! I'm wrapping it all up (for now) in the next chapter!

_Chikao:_ So you're bringing Takuya and everyone back just to end the story?

_madjack89:_ Well…look at the time! See you in the next chapter, everyone!


	33. Ch 31: The End For Now

**Frontier 02: Home Frontier- Chapter 31: The End (For Now)**

_Takuya:_ Hey guys, we're back! What's this chapter about…the end?!

_JP:_ What the hell is that?!

_madjack89:_ Welcome back, guys!

_Kira:_ Don't even try to weasel your way out of this one, Madjack! If that is your real name!

_madjack89:_ It's not.

_Kira:_ …Shut up!

_Kouichi:_ Um, guys…

_Takuya:_ We give you the best years of our lives, and this is what it comes down to!

_Shino:_ It hasn't been years, but I agree with Takuya!

_Zoe:_ Guys…

_Tommy:_ It can't end like this! There's too much suspense!

_Daiki:_ What cruel and unusual punishment you have subjected us to!

_Hotaru:_ This sucks.

_Kouji:_ GUYS, WILL YOU SHUT THE HELL UP FOR FIVE SECONDS! Madjack said she was gonna make a sequel! Are Kouichi, Zoe, and I the only ones who remembered that?

_Everyone:_ …Oh yeah.

_madjack89:_ Thank you, Kouji.

_Kouji:_ God…

_madjack89:_ Yeah…anyway, Kouji is correct! This is the last chapter of THIS story, but calm your little selves down, for there will be a SEQUEL, okay?

_JP:_ Sounds good.

_madjack89:_ Alright, time for me to answer the reviews for THIS story one last time.

_Dawn of Glory:_ Calm down, it'll be okay. I said I'd continue this story for a while, and I will. In a sequel. Just stay calm until then! Thank you for your reviews!

_aluminion:_ Yeah, I'm not done with little Shinya yet, I just set the stage in that chapter! He's gonna be a bit more than a supporting character later on…(heh heh heh). Um, I don't really judge guys on their age, I judge them on their character (and looks are a perk)! Am I the only one who never sees scenes like that as gay! Gosh… Don't worry, there's gonna be a sequel. Take deep breaths. Thank you for the reviews!

_GoldenDragon326:_ Yes, I'm making a sequel! Calm yourself down! And you're right, there's no possible way I could wrap all this up in one chapter! Which is why there's a sequel! Hooray! Alright, love you too (in a writer-to-reader way) and thanks for your reviews!

_hazeleyedharmony:_ Let me just say you're the first person so far to not make a comment about this being the last chapter! But anyway, thank you for all your awesome reviews and hope to see you in the sequel!

_nikigrl-123:_ There will be a sequel, okay! Thanks for the compliments and the reviews!

_kyokoaurora:_ Yeah, but sadly, Chikao and Yutaka have to go back to college until I decide to put them back in the story again…(aww). But Chikao learned his lesson, so it's all good! Thanks for all the reviews!

_garnettfox:_ Eh, it's all good! I enjoy hearing your story ideas! Thanks for reviewing and sharing your own story's plot with me!

_madjack89:_ Okay, time for the final chapter of Frontier 02: Home Frontier! Hope you like it!

--

"Ah, spring. The time of new beginnings! The time that birds twitter in the trees! The time when children dance and play and skin their knees in the spirit of the season!"

"The time when I make you shut up if you don't do it on your own," Kouji growled, glaring murderously at JP.

JP stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking pouty. "Why are you always so cranky, Kouji?"

Kouji sighed, glaring at the ground. "Sorry. I'm just a little…edgy."

"Aren't we all?" JP replied, glancing back at a gloomy-looking Takuya. "Even Taki's gotten all broody."

It had been weeks since Ilsemon's agents had attacked, and before the gang had known it, it was the beginning of April, and of spring. But even though all the kids around them seemed to be catching spring fever, they were finding it hard to enjoy the season themselves.

JP would try to cheer his friends up, as he had attempted earlier, but everyone's mind still clung to Wizardmon's final words to them: _I'll see you all in the Digital World._

"See you later," Takuya said listlessly, walking past his friends, out the school gate, and down the street toward home.

"Jeez," JP muttered, scratching his head. "Usually it's me and Taki that cheer everyone up with our antics, but now my partner in crime's gone all moody!" Then he glanced at Kouji. "Hey, Kouji…"

"No, I'm not replacing Takuya," Kouji said flatly.

"Darn," JP said. He looked over his shoulder suddenly and exclaimed, "Hey, wait a minute! Where's Chief?"

Kouji shrugged. "He probably left while we were getting our things."

JP paused, then grinned broadly. "I think I can guess who he was eager to see!"

"Speaking of which, weren't you going to go meet Tomoyo or something?" Kouji asked.

"Sadly, no," JP replied, his smile fading. "She has to make up a test after school today because she failed it so miserably."

"You two really are perfect for each other," Kouji muttered under his breath. He then began to walk out the school gate.

"Hey, wait up!" JP cried, catching up to him quickly. "Don't you want to, I don't know, hang out or something?"

"No," Kouji said simply, continuing down the street. "See you, JP."

JP stood outside the gate for a moment, pondering his friends' behavior. He sighed, saying to himself, "It's times like this that make me miss Dai. Why'd he have to get sick?"

--

_earlier that day_

Daiki stepped through his bedroom door for the first time in three weeks. He skipped happily over to his bed, flopping onto it and burying his face in his pillow. Hotaru followed Daiki into his room silently.

Daiki rolled over onto his back, staring at his ceiling with a big smile on his face. "Taru-kun, have I ever told you how much more comfortable this bed is compared to hospital beds?"

"You have," Hotaru mumbled despondently, staring at the floor.

Daiki frowned, sitting up on his bed and staring with concern at his cousin. "What's up, Hotaru?"

Hotaru's head shot up and he glared levelly at Daiki. "You just spent three weeks in the hospital, and you have to ask me what's up?"

"Oh, that's all?" Daiki chuckled, saying, "When you've spent as much time as I have in that place, it tends to stop being that much of a big deal."

"Stops being a big deal?" Hotaru said, raising his voice.

"What are you two doing in here?" asked Hotaru's mother, stepping into the room. "I thought I heard shouting."

"It's nothing," Hotaru responded before Daiki had a chance to. "We're just talking."

"Okay," she muttered, leaving the room. "Just remember to call your friends back, okay, Dai? They've been worried about you."

Daiki nodded as Hotaru silently closed the door after his mother.

Hotaru sighed, turning his attention back to Daiki. "Dai, this was more than a stupid routine checkup. You had an attack!"

Daiki remained silent for a few moments, then replied, "The doctors said I would be fine. It was a pretty small attack, anyway."

"Small?" Hotaru said sarcastically. "You call crying out in the middle of the night and clutching your chest like it's gonna burst small?"

"Small compared to others," Daiki mumbled, glancing away from Hotaru uncomfortably. "If you were so worried about this, why didn't say anything before?"

"The hospital isn't exactly a great place for a private conversation," Hotaru said, calming himself down slightly. "You realize this proves our theory wrong, right?"

Daiki narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Dai, we thought that Grumblemon's spirit was somehow keeping you healthy," Hotaru said impatiently. "You had an attack after your little bout with that Duskmon guy, so that would prove our theory wrong!"

"It doesn't prove anything," Daiki said quickly. "Maybe it just means I have to be more careful when I'm using the spirit?"

"Dai, calm down," Hotaru said quietly. "I don't think that you should stop using Grumblemon's spirit. I couldn't ask you to do that." He paused for a moment, feeling his D-Tector in his pocket. "They're a part of us. I understand that."

"Then what are you trying to say?" Daiki asked warily.

Hotaru looked at Daiki for a moment and said, "You know what I'm getting at. I'm saying that we should tell the others about your attacks."

"No!" Daiki jumped off his bed, running over to the door and standing in front of it defensively. "If you want to tell them, you have to get through me!"

Hotaru smirked at this. "Dai, I don't mean to make fun of your short stature, but I'm pretty sure I could pick you up and fling you across the room if I had to."

"But you won't," Daiki murmured, smiling darkly. "That sounds a bit too much like something the Firefly would do, right, Hotaru?"

Hotaru's face darkened. "You're not playing fair now," he growled, clenching his fist in frustration.

"It's not my fault that you vowed never to become the Firefly again," Daiki said nonchalantly, heading back to his bed.

Hotaru said nothing, scowling angrily.

"I'm sorry I went there," Daiki murmured after a moment of silence. "I know that brings up some things you'd rather forget."

"No kidding," Hotaru said, chuckling darkly.

"Besides, I didn't have to go there, because you wouldn't have told them without my permission. That's just the way you are." Daiki smiled at his cousin warmly. "Now, let's just forget about this and give everyone a call, okay?"

Hotaru stared at Daiki for a moment, at how completely he trusted him not to reveal his illness to anyone. Hotaru sighed wearily. _I'm so pathetic._

Hotaru then glanced at the clock and smirked. "Maybe we should wait to call them until after school."

Daiki looked at the clock and laughed. "Oh yeah!"

--

_back to the original time that this chapter started in…actually, how about later that day…yeah that sounds better_

Kouichi stood outside the all-girls school, looking anxious. His anxiety ebbed when he saw a blonde girl walking toward him. But his excitement was quickly extinguished when he realized that it wasn't who he had been waiting for: Zoe.

"Darn it," he cursed under his breath as the blonde girl walked by. He turned his attention back to the walkway from the school. It was crowded with girls leaving school for the day, but not the girl he most wanted to see.

He had been standing outside the school for almost half an hour now, and still Zoe hadn't appeared. Terrible thoughts began to flash through his mind, the worst one a memory of Duskmon holding a sword to Zoe's throat…

He clutched his D-Tector tighter. He had taken it out of his pocket, just in case HE decided to show up. _I know he'll be back,_ he thought, fear and anger increasing. _He'll use whoever he can to get to me, and that includes…_

Suddenly he saw her, the culmination of his desires, walking quickly from the main school building, followed by a disgruntled-looking Kira. He sighed in relief, waving at the two girls.

They quickly spotted him and made their way through the crowd until they reached him. "Zoe," Kouichi said, embracing his girlfriend tightly.

"Um, hi Kouichi," Zoe replied, confused by Kouichi's sudden public display of affection. He was usually more reserved than this, especially around Zoe's jealousy-prone classmates, who were glaring at her with unconcealed malice at this very moment.

"Don't tell me I gotta beat someone else up," Kira muttered angrily, fists already raised.

"Someone else?" Kouichi asked, letting go of Zoe abruptly when he realized they had an audience. "Did you already beat someone up today?"

"That was why we were late," Zoe explained, looking exasperatingly at Kira. "And you know that if you punch someone else, you'll only get in more trouble."

"That bitch deserved what she got!" Kira exclaimed, scowling. "Besides," she continued, turning to look at Kouichi, "Chief would've done the same thing if he'd heard what these prissy sluts have been saying about you!"

Kouichi frowned, staring at Zoe. "They've been bugging you again?"

Zoe shuffled her feet uncomfortably under Kouichi's gaze. "It's not that bad…"

"Are you kidding?! It's worse than before!" Kira gestured to all the girls around them, staring at Zoe with evident jealousy and hate. "All because they think you're so freakin' smex, Chief!"

Kouichi lowered his eyes, stung by Kira's comment. "Kira!" Zoe cried. "It isn't Kouichi's fault this is happening, and you know it!"

"Then who's to blame, Zoe?!" Kira yelled back. "You tell me that!"

"That's it; c'mon, Kouichi!" Zoe grabbed Kouichi's arm, pulling him with her as she stomped out the school gate angrily. "Don't expect me to cover for your sorry ass anymore, Kira Ishiko!"

"Ditto!" Kira yelled back, glaring at Zoe with as much anger as the girls around her.

When they were a significant distance away from the school, Zoe stopped, angry tears forming in her eyes. "Stupid Kira," she muttered, wiping away her tears.

Kouichi stared at Zoe with concern. "Zoe, you didn't have to get angry like that. Kira had a point…"

"No she didn't," Zoe said quietly, looking at Kouichi with shining, wet eyes. "I know it sounds stubborn, but I refuse to believe you are the cause of any of this."

"But if it weren't for me…" Kouichi began.

"No," Zoe quickly said, holding a finger to his mouth to quiet him. "I don't care what they say to me, because I love you, and I don't care who knows."

Kouichi blushed slightly, staring at the ground. "What about Kira?"

"I'll talk to her when she realizes she's being a stupid jerk for blaming one of her sweetest, kindest friends for my problems," Zoe said stubbornly, looking adoringly at Kouichi. "Now, I believe we had a movie date at your house this evening. Shall we go?"

Kouichi glanced at Zoe's hand, then at her shining, dazzling eyes. He knew he couldn't deny her when she gave him that look with those eyes. They were too bewitching.

"Okay," he replied, pushing his unsettling anxieties out of his mind. "Let's go."

--

"Look at this, Tom-Tom!" Nanami held up a crudely drawn picture of what looked like some sort of animal proudly.

Tommy and Shinya stared at it uncertainly. "Um, Nanami, I don't want to insult you or anything, but what is that supposed to be?" Tommy asked, stepping around a puddle left by the recent rainstorm.

"I think it's a squirrel," Shinya murmured.

"It's supposed to be Kumamon!" Nanami exclaimed, sticking her lip out and pouting. "I was trying to draw it for Tom-Tom."

Shinya's expression darkened slightly when Tommy grabbed the paper, saying, "You know, now that I'm really looking at it, you're right, it does look like Kumamon! Thank you, Nanami."

Nanami blushed while Shinya glared angrily at the ground, trying to dispel his jealousy.

"Hey guys," said Shino, suddenly walking up behind the younger kids. "How was school, Nanami?"

"Wait, I drew you a picture, too!" Nanami quickly reached into her backpack and produced another piece of paper, this one with an attempt at drawing Arbormon on it.

"Uh, thank you, Nanami," Shino smirked, taking the paper. He was used to getting works of Nanami's "art."

Shinya's eyes widened slightly. _She never even thought to draw me anything, did she? Of course not, because I'm not special like the others are…_

"Well, are you ready to head home, guys?" Shino asked.

"Yes," replied Tommy and Nanami, walking further down the street toward their homes. Shinya stayed where he was.

"You want me to walk you home, too?" Shino asked, glancing at Shinya. "I know it's in the opposite direction from our homes, but I'm sure that Tommy and Nanami wouldn't mind."

"No," Shinya said quickly, turning around. "I'm sure Takuya will be here any minute to walk me home."

Shino sighed. "Shinya, Takuya's been a little preoccupied lately. He might have forgotten again."

"Then I'll just walk home by myself!" Shinya cried, rushing away from Shino quickly and turning the corner before slowing down to a brisk walk.

"Why bother with me, huh? Nobody else does. No one gives a crap about me, not even my stupid older brother." As Shinya continued to mutter angrily to himself, a light rain began to fall around him.

He looked up and a rain drop fell right in his eye. Shinya scowled, rubbing his eye gruffly. "Even the weather hates me," he said, glaring at the sky. "What is this, karma?! Have I done something to anger the gods?! Answer me!"

In response, the rain began to increase in intensity until it was pouring, soaking Shinya to the bone. "Of course," Shinya murmured, hugging himself with his arms and continuing to trudge through the rain toward home. And no one was there for him with an umbrella.

--

_later that night_

Takuya lay on his bed, covering his face with his hat and clutching his goggles in his hand. Everything had somehow changed for him, so suddenly that he was having a hard time adjusting.

_Ilsemon sent Digimon here, but not to kill us. Not yet, anyway. She wants something from us, and if we don't deliver, she'll send another attack._ Takuya thought of Wizardmon's words again._ I'll see you all in the Digital World._

"She wants us to go to the Digital World, but for what reason? Could we be walking into a trap?" Takuya swept his hat from his face, letting it fall to the floor. He glanced at his window, watching the rain fall. He also heard wind howling against the tarp pinned up over the gapping hole in the wall in the hallway.

"I don't even feel like myself," Takuya mumbled. "Being a leader never used to be this complicated."

Suddenly something occurred to Takuya, something that he had somehow ignored for three weeks. He shot up, jumped onto the floor, and grabbed his D-Tector. After some expert button-fiddling, the symbol for the warrior of earth appeared on the small screen.

"Hey, Takuya!" Daiki's enthusiastic greeting came from the D-Tector. "I was just about to call and tell you that my bad case of strep throat is officially gone!"

"Awesome," Takuya replied, adrenalin rushing through him. "Dai, I need you to call the gang and tell them to sneak out of their houses around midnight and meet up at the park. Call them with your D-Tector. Can you do that?"

"Heck yes I can!" Daiki replied, sounding excited. "My first adventure in weeks! Don't worry; I'll make sure everyone knows!"

"Thanks," Takuya said, smiling. "I have a plan I need to tell everyone about, now!"

--

Kouji silently entered the park, trying to make himself as unnoticeable as possible. He crept quietly from the shadow of one tree to the next, so silent, so stealthy…

"Hey Kouji." Kouji whirled around and instantly recognized his brother Kouichi, leaning against a tree and chuckling quietly.

Kouji frowned, asking, "How'd you see me this time?"

"I just have a knack for seeing things in the dark," Kouichi said, walking past Kouji and beckoning for him to follow. "Besides, you really aren't as stealthy as you think."

Kouji looked insulted, then smiled good-naturedly. "You are the sneakier of the two of us." Kouichi chuckled again, and then Kouji asked, "Okay, so why did Takuya feel the need to drag us out here in the middle of the night?"

Kouichi shrugged. "I was just told to come."

"Guys, over here!" The twins turned to see JP gesturing at them from behind a building not far from where they were standing. They walked over and found the rest of the gang- minus Takuya- lounging in the shadows. Most of them looked like they were struggling to stay awake. Tommy was already asleep.

"Anybody tired?" Kouji asked sarcastically. In response, Zoe threw a pinecone at his head. "God," he muttered, rubbing his head where the pinecone had hit. "Why are you so cranky?"

"Because unlike you, pretty boy, we can't function properly without our daily recommended eight hours of sleep, which Taki is depriving us of," Kira said, snapping a twig in two.

Kouichi said nothing, glancing uncomfortably at the two girls in front of him. Kira noticed this and smiled at him, saying, "It's okay, Chief. Zoe and I patched things up between us earlier."

"And?" Zoe stared at Kira, wanting her to add something to her statement.

Kira sighed. "And I'm sorry I blamed everything on you," she mumbled, staring at her feet.

"No big deal," Kouichi replied, smiling at Kira.

"Uh, what the hell are you two talking about?" Kouji asked, staring blankly at his brother and Kira.

"I guess we missed something again," JP said, sighing. "We always seem to miss all the good stuff these days."

"Exactly!" Everyone turned around and saw…

"MADJACK!"

"What?" Tommy mumbled, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "What's goin' on?"

"Apparently Madjack has decided to pay us a visit for no reason whatsoever," Shino explained so I wouldn't have to. "Use me…" he muttered to himself, annoyed.

"Okay, why are you here and where's Takuya?" JP asked, cocking his head.

"Oh, he's right here!" I replied, grabbing Takuya's arm and pulling him out from behind the wall of the building. He looked just as confused as everyone else, seeing me in the story. "Yeah, there's no reason for me to be here, but I just wanted to ruin the moment! See ya!"

Then I vanished, leaving the gang very, very confused.

"Well, that was…weird," Takuya said, scratching his head. "But, anyway, back to the plot. Hey guys, how's it going?"

"You have five seconds to explain what we're doing out here in the middle of the night before we shove you up against a tree and do target practice on you," JP said.

"In our Beast forms," Zoe added.

Takuya smiled sheepishly. "Anything you'd like to add, Kouji?" he asked sarcastically.

"You didn't drag me out of bed, so I don't particularly care," Kouji replied, shrugging.

"And Shino's technically the only one of us newbies who can use their beast spirit without blowing stuff up accidentally," Daiki said.

"Lucky for you," Kira added, glaring at Takuya.

"Jeez, you guys are cranky," Takuya muttered, clearing his throat. "Okay, here's why I called this little meeting.

"Three weeks ago, Wizardmon said he'd see us in the Digital World. I don't know about you guys, but to me, that pretty much means come to the Digital World, or we're gonna make it personal.

"And for these past three weeks, I have been trying to come up with logical ways to deal with this situation. I mean, if we go, who knows when we'll get back? And what if it's a trap?

"Then suddenly, I had this epiphany, and here is what it is." Takuya paused, trying to build up the suspense. Everyone looked at him expectantly. Maybe, finally, Takuya had come up with a carefully thought out plan for something.

"I realized that logic is useless!" Takuya exclaimed, grinning.

Everyone looked at Takuya with disbelief except for Tommy and Daiki. Daiki nodded philosophically while Tommy stared curiously at Takuya.

"What do you mean?" Tommy asked Takuya.

"I think what Tommy means is, what the hell, Takuya?" Kouji said.

"Kouji, Kouji, Kouji." Takuya shook his head, smirking. "Let's face it; you're the logical one of the group. I'm not. That's why I've been feeling so off lately! I've been trying to come up with a sophisticated plan this whole time, when the answer was right in front of me all along!"

"And the answer would be?" Shino asked.

"All we need to do is just go!" Takuya said happily. "I mean, what's stopping us? It's obvious that something big is going on in the Digital World, and we are kind of the protectors of it, so what are we still doing here? Let's just go!"

Everyone remained quiet for a moment, deep in thought. "Our parents…" Kouji said.

"We can write them notes and explain everything. Even if they don't believe what we write, it's not like they'll be able to find us until we get back."

"School…" Zoe said.

"School?"

"Okay, maybe not school," Zoe said, smirking.

"Anyone else have anything to add?" Takuya asked, still smiling.

"Well, I would say friends, but…you know," Shino said, sighing.

Everyone was silent again. "So, what do say? Are you with me?" Takuya stuck his hand out, waiting for the others responses.

After a moment, Kouji chuckled. "Somebody has to keep you from getting yourself killed," he said, stacking his hand on top of Takuya's.

"Like I'd abandon you, Taki," Kira said, stacking her hand as well.

"Of course I'm with you, Takuya!" Tommy said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He also stacked his hand.

"Yay, we'll finally get to see the Digital World!" Daiki exclaimed, stacking his hand.

"Just so you guys know," Hotaru began, stacking his hand, "I'm not just doing this for Dai anymore."

"That tears it; let me in there!" JP quickly joined his friends in their hand stack.

Kouichi and Zoe glanced at each other and smiled. "Shall we?" Zoe asked, stacking her hand.

"As long as I don't have to go near those stairs again," Kouichi joked, stacking his hand.

Everyone stared back at Shino expectantly. After a moment, Shino smirked. "Thanks for making me look bad by going before me, guys," he said before stacking his hand on the top.

Takuya looked at each of his friends, excitement flowing through him. "Digital World, here we come!"

--

Impmon sat high in a tree, thinking back to his short time in the human world. The warrior of earth hadn't tried to move at all when his attack had come at him. He had merely stood there, waiting for it…

"Dang kid!" Impmon cried, punching the tree angrily. He took his hand (or paw) away from the tree to assess the damage, but realized that he hadn't even dented it.

Impmon clenched his teeth in fury. "Why can't I do anythin'?!" he cried angrily.

--

Renamon gazed thoughtfully at the moons, noting that there was only one in the human world, but three in the Digital World.

"How odd," she murmured quietly. "So many things about the human world are odd, though."

She paused before continuing. "Like the humans themselves. They are so odd; vulnerable, yet capable. They have somehow turned their crippling emotions into strengths."

She stood still for a moment, staring at her paws regretfully. "Could I have done that?"

--

"All in all, ma'am, I believe that the mission was a success," Wizardmon stated, staring at Ilsemon's turned back. "We've peaked their interest in our activities, and I am quite confident that they will come to this world in search of answers."

Ilsemon nodded in acknowledgment. "And," Wizardmon continued quietly, "I still haven't been able to find Gatomon." _I don't want to lie to her_, he thought, glancing at Ilsemon. _But…she'll treat Gatomon as a traitor. And technically, I don't know where she is._

"I'm sorry," Ilsemon muttered, black wings twitching. "She is a great asset to our cause, and she is your sister. We will find her soon."

Her dark hair swept over her shoulders when she turned to face Duskmon, who stood in a corner, leaning against the wall. "Duskmon, do you have anything to add?"

"No," Duskmon said simply, turning to leave.

Wizardmon glanced at Ilsemon apologetically as Duskmon disappeared. "I'm sorry for him, ma'am. He's just so…"

"I know he is difficult," Ilsemon replied calmly, light blue eyes narrowing. "But we'll need him if we are ever to resurrect my brother, Lucemon."

--

"Oh!" Masumon's eyes widened, slowly getting to her feet. The chains around her ankles and wrists were heavy, but she didn't care at the moment.

For the first time in a while, she felt a glimmer of hope inside her. It was small, but it was there. Her hazel eyes shone with an excited intensity as she brushed a strand of dirty blonde hair out of her face. Her pure white, angelic wings twitched in anticipation.

"They're finally coming," she muttered to herself. "Now the fun can really begin!"

--

_madjack89:_ And that is the conclusion of Frontier 02: Home Frontier!

_Everyone: stunned silence _

_madjack89:_ Wow, I managed to get them all in suspense! Sweet! Okay, before I sign out, there is something I wanted to add. I know there are a lot of things going on at once in this story, but here are some important things to remember! The Kouji/Seiko thing, the last thing Duskmon said in chapter 29, my little descriptions of Masumon and Ilsemon, and Shinya's little issues. There are other things you could remember, but these will probably be the most plot-affecting things. Okay guys, time for your goodbyes! Go!

_Daiki:_ Bye!

_JP:_ It's been fun…kind of.

_Zoe:_ See you guys later!

_Kouji and Kouichi:_ Bye.

_Hotaru:_ Uh…bye.

_Shino:_ See you.

_Daiki:_ Bye!

_Kira:_ Dai, you went already.

_Daiki:_ I know, but the people won't get to see us OCs again until the sequel!

_Shino:_ Technically, they don't "see" us…

_Daiki:_ Bye!

_Kira:_ Just give up, Shino. You can't win.

_Shino:_ I know…

_Kira:_ Bye guys!

_Tommy:_ Bye everybody!

_Takuya:_ Saved the best for last, huh? Okay, bye everyone!

_madjack89:_ Okay guys, it is time for us to say goodbye. Keep checking back for the sequel to F2HF! It'll be called Frontier 02: Rebirthing! So I guess that makes it F2R (heh)! Alright, see ya!


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